Kill Them All
by Cookie-the-Platypus
Summary: This is black and white. Two unique sides of the same mirror. One side, only one, will escape. And here's what you need to ask yourself: Which one? Hetalia vs. Reader vs. 2P!Hetalia. WARNINGS: Character deaths, no pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Reader! I see you've clicked on a story named "Kill Them All?" Excellent choice! But please remember, I named it "Kill Them ALL" for a reason... So... Please be warned... ^^**

**Synopsis:**** You don't how you got here, why you got here, or what your point is to be here. All you really know is that there is some kind of battle raging, a battle against two sides, and life is the only prize available. You are not on either of these sides, and your only goal is to keep breathing. But what lengths will you do to keep your life? And why do you keep thinking of those three words some stranger told you in the very beginning? Hetalia vs. Reader vs. 2P!Hetalia.**

**Genre:**** Suspense, tragedy, horror, angst, mystery (sort of...?)**

**Rated M:**** For character death, strong swearing, a bit of gore (nothing compared to Higurashi, but still enough to justify an M rating) and various other mature themes.**

**NO COUPLES. None. Nope. That's why it's Hetalia VERSUS Reader VERSUS 2P!Hetalia. I'm HORRIBLE at writing romance, so yeah. Every relationship in here is meant as a friendship relationship... (This isn't THAT type of "M" story... ^^")**

**I am trying my best to make this a decent fanfiction, but I'm still learning as I go along. I've been reading a lot of critiques on other reader-inserts, as well as 2P! stories, so I know that I still have a LONG way to go before this will be considered a "good" fanfiction. Please bear with me. Critique as you see fit, because I am EXTREMELY open to anything you guys have to say. :)**

**Thank you for your time, and please enjoy yourself...**

* * *

It was a neighbourhood that you didn't normally walk in.

And to make it worse: it was getting dark.

The sunset had just faded behind buildings of bland grey, and the clouds rolling along were now tints of navy blue and a charcoal purple. The people left of the shady streets were heading home, and as the streetlights flickered on, you noticed how every figure seemed to blend into this cloudy night. With somber suits and ebony uniforms, they all began to depart to where they would retire in the dusky late-night haze.

It was a nice summer night, you had to admit. Although, getting as shadowy as this in the brightest days of the year meant that the time had to be somewhere passed eleven o'clock, and frankly, you didn't want to be out in unfamiliar streets so late. Although, you swore that you left that restaurant no later than nine, and you felt as if you had been walking for only a half an hour. Be that as it may, your iPod had been on repeat listening to your favourite song, and time flies when you love music.

You turned a corner, looking around the blackened walkways. Okay, NOW your heart started to pound. Where had everybody disappeared to? Surely there must have been cars passing around this corner a second ago... You felt the need to turn off your music and keep your eyes on the road ahead of you. Wasn't this the direction Google Maps told you to go?

You heard nothing but your own footsteps and heavy breathing as you trudged along the walkway. After this there was a left turn at... at...

_Shoot._

_No worries_, you thought to yourself, _it'll come to me when I see it._

So you stared intensely at the street names of every left turn you encountered, and even most of the right turns. Anybody watching would have thought you were crazy... Well, if there WERE any people around. As you looked around, there wasn't much light to go by anymore. Some streetlights seemed to have burned out, and only a few houses still looked occupied.

At least the houses being occupied was a good thing...

Right?

You felt an uneasy clench in your heart, and that was never a good sign. However, it could just be your paranoia, which tended to get the better of you even when you were home alone in broad daylight. A creak in the hallway could send shivers up your spine. Still, with all the talk about rapists and murderers; you knew that being here was not a good sign. Maybe you should head back...?

Rightway! Right! That was the name of it because it was the 'right way'. You quickly curved around the angle of an olden stone structure to find yourself in an alley. The creepy, murky type of alley that everybody warns to avoid at all costs.

Seriously?

You stood in front of the narrow passage for a long time, determining which choice you were about to take. Should you just head back? How many more streets did you have to pass down after this? You couldn't remember. However, ANYTHING was better than heading down an eerie alley by yourself. That way, you were just ASKING for it...

So you spun around and started to walk back along the street...

Until you realized that you didn't have a clue on where you were going.

You mentally smacked yourself. Why didn't you look at the street you had been on before? Now, no matter where you looked, EVERY street looked familiar; as you had spent so much time examining them when trying to find Rightway. You took a deep sigh.

This can't be happening.

At least you didn't feel eyes on the back of your head or anything. Was that a good thing? A bad thing? Nothing but the wind grasping at your ears with chilling fingers. That feeling alone didn't ease you. What if there WAS someone here but you couldn't feel their presence? Gosh, now you were starting to talk as if this were in a paranormal movie! No way. Ghosts don't exist. Every reality show that has tried to find one ends with no avail. Scary things don't exist... Scary things don't exist...

Maybe you could knock on one of the doors leading to houses along this street? Nevertheless, all the lights that had been on before were now off. It unnerved you. Everything was dark now. At least there was-

And there went the streetlights.

You shivered. This was all too weird. Breathing heavily, you quickly made your way along the streets, glancing at each and every one you passed. You turned right onto this route, right? So the road you were looking for had to be on the left! But wait... No... You turned right when you reached Park Street. Were there any other right turns? There was a right turn onto your street, but there may have been others too, right?

You couldn't think straight. Your head was swimming, and you swear that you could hear your own heartbeat in the soundless midnight. A cold chill ran by and you started to shiver. Did it just get colder? Then there was that feeling of something crawling up your leg. You let out a quiet squeak as you brushed away the feeling with abnormal speed, only to find it was nothing but air. Now you were scared. No, not scared. Scared wasn't a strong enough word. Terrified. Alarmed. Almost petrified.

However, you kept walking on, wordlessly begging that a light in one of the houses would turn on. None of them did, and you felt an unsettling amount of desolation flutter like butterflies in your stomach. Warily, with your shoes involuntarily making timid tip-tap noises along the concrete, you walked on.

And now you must have missed your street, because you recognized absolutely none of these new street names. And it wasn't like the vitality of any of these walkways was an indication to where you were supposed to be going. No. It was like you had walked straight into a ghost town.

Note to self: Drive home next time. In daylight.

Just as you made that mental reminder, something quickly caught your eye. Down one of the many streets you crossed paths with, there was...

A light.

A light from a lamp.

And it was MOVING.

You're heart pounded with thankfulness as you paced briskly, almost running, towards the ray. That was, until you stopped in sudden realization. Did you really WANT to go towards this light? You were in a dark street with nothing to protect yourself and you knew no types of defensive manoeuvres that could save you in a life-threatening situation. What would happen if this person in front of you wasn't the type of person you wanted to come across? What would you do if this person went after you when they saw you? You would have nothing to protect yourself! There would be no witnesses, and they could do, literally, anything to you! Maybe you should watch them from afar?

But how would you hide yourself? In an alley? Wouldn't that be even MORE dangerous? What would you do even if you got away? There was no way to get where you were heading by yourself, and you were fully aware that you were lost. Asking for this stranger's help may help you, but at what cost? Would there be a cost? Could you take that chance?

You couldn't figure out what to do. You took a step forward, only to return back to where you were as you realized what you were about to risk. You took a step backwards, only to think about the state you were in by yourself: dizzy and alone. You didn't realize that the bashful beat of your shoes had caught someone's attention.

"Shuí zài nà'er?"

_Wait, what did he-?_

You stiffened as you heard a click.

A click of a gun.

The cocking of one's gun was not an alien sound to your ears. Movies and TV shows had constantly drummed the noise into your mind, even though you knew it was dramatized. It could just be paranoia again. Of course, in such darkness, you would assume the worst and think of a weapon...

_Aha... ha... M-Maybe the click had something to do with that light?_

You slowly took a step back as the lamp came closer and closer, until the shadow of a person could be seen.

Your heart was knocking on your chest so hard... Who would this person be? Should you stay to find out? Should you take your chances with that little clicking noise? You didn't know what else to do. In the adrenaline and fright, you did the only thing you thought of. The only thing everybody told you to do when coming in contact with a strange person in a dark setting...

You ran.

A man's voice shouted, but you wouldn't have ever been able to decipher it with the blood pounding in your veins. Your legs gained minds of their own as they lead you God-who-knows-where, cutting corners and racing past multiple bland houses.

And there was a gunshot.

And it was close.

And it had been fired at YOU.

Fear turned into panic. Panic turned into shock. Shock turned into horror. Horror turned into angst.

You weren't going to live through this, were you?

Nevertheless, instead of giving up and throwing your hands where he could see, your feet continued the desperate chase. Gasping heavy breaths, you ducked into a sinister, narrow alleyway. Although regretful of this decision, you felt as if you had no choice. It was either scary alleyway or death and, even though the alley may ALSO lead to death, it would be at a later time.

Oh good god... You were thinking about your DEATH.

Pasting your cold, sweat-drenched back against the rigid wall, you tried to control your wearisome pants for breath. You couldn't understand how people in the movies or books could suddenly quiet their breathing within a moment like this. Your throbbing heart DEMANDED the air, and deep, rapid respiration was the only way that you didn't feel like you were about to gag in despair.

As you assumed, your prosecutor quickly found your little hiding place.

His lamp's glare shone dauntingly into your pupils, causing you that ten seconds of white blindness. That was all your investigator needed to place the barrel of a revolver to your forehead. You whimpered as you felt the metal kiss your skin, and you froze as your eyes started to adjust.

"Jǔ qǐ shǒu lái."

_What?_

When you didn't respond, he repeated the statement in a harsher tone, and you couldn't help but cower back into the wall, holding your hands up in an attempt to display innocence.

_What is he saying?!_

His voice relaxed only a bit at his next sentence. He obviously didn't like you, for some reason. "Nǐ shì shéi?"

_Why did that light have to be so blinding?_

The first thing your eyes focused on was the metallic device floating over your head; but as you got used to the bright lamplight, you could begin make out the shape of the being. He was a short man, with a smaller build and petite features on his body.

He huffed and continued speaking, clearly getting more annoyed by the moment. He seemed to ask another question in his bitter tongue, but your heart was hammering too loud to even comprehend the words ringing in your ears.

_What. Do. I. SAY?_

Your heart raced at the danger of doing nothing, and the danger of doing something. Would you die without even knowing what you did wrong?

Your eyes adjusted a bit more as your gaze came into contact with amber slits, glaring and examining you. Lengthy, ebony hair was contained within a ponytail. You couldn't help but notice what looked like a cooking bowl, which strangely seemed to cradle a candle inside of it, clutched in the hand which wasn't pointed in-between your eyes. The foreign-looking uniform he was wearing looked dark in the lighting, but not black, as you soon noticed a tint of green in the shading.

He seemed to take your silence as an answer. "Nihongo? English? Español? Rooskie yazik?"

_English? I heard English!_

_Should I say 'English?'_

"E-English! Yes!" you confirmed hurriedly to him, watching as his expression grew darker.

He muttered something inaudible, although you dreaded that he may not have understood your words. Perhaps you misheard?

"Hello then." He hissed in a accent, although you couldn't determine the origin off the top of your head, or under the stress.

"H-Hello?" Even with the language barrier passed, the gun pointed at your nose didn't make you feel any safer. He made no attempt to lower it. Who was this guy? Why was he speaking in another language? Why was there a gun pointed at you?

"Who are you?"

Something by the tone of his voice told you he wasn't only looking for your name. You blinked, trying to stop your trembling in front of the stranger. Might as well give him what he wants...

"(Name) (Last name)." Your voice sounded much different under pressure. You vaguely recognized this voice back in English class when public speaking would come around; however, the voice that you heard at this moment couldn't have just been pressure eating at you. The voice you heard sounded desperate and wobbly; vulnerable and feeble. You didn't like that sound. Especially because it gave away all your emotions.

For a second, he was silent. Too long a second. Though, as you turned to contact a golden stare, you saw something similar to confusion in his expression. With the metal device still pressed against your forehead, you held your breath, waiting in suspense for the prosecutor's final verdict.

"What's your REAL name, aru?"

He didn't believe you? Why? What was going on? As your mind stressed out, you let your mouth take control for a while. "I-I'm not lying. (Name) (Last name) is my r-real name..."

Those words were nothing but a whisper.

Another moment of silence fell upon the two of you like a blanket of snow would. Cold, harsh silence... It was practically anticipating the move that would end your life. His hard focus analyzed almost every part of you to extreme detail; like a bug under the microscope of a biologist. He had the ability to dispose you if you didn't pass this inspection, if you didn't end up being the thing he wanted to find.

The ability to dispose you.

You held your breath.

Another word for DEATH.

"Nationality?"

_Nationality?_

"Um... (Y-Your nationality)," you replied shakily. An odd question, basically a racist question, but you wouldn't pry about it. You wouldn't pry about anything. This person was in control. Now, you could always go with the part of your mind screaming: _I have rights! I deserve to know! _But this wasn't like in the movies where the bad guy would suddenly be interested in your spunk. No, you had nothing at this moment. If he wanted to shoot you, he could. He would.

_Don't worry... As long as you give him what he wants, he won't kill you... Right?_

His eyes pierced to your soul, and though you would rather look anywhere else, you knew that you had to prove your innocence in the only way you could: by not showing signs of guilt in your words or movements. Looking away would seem like avoidance. It would be suspicious. Plus, even if this man had MINUSCULE doubts about you, he could get rid of you just to be sure.

Get rid of you.

ANOTHER word for death.

A small squeak of fright escaped your throat. You bet he heard it too, but didn't react to it in any way. He kept his face rigid and stance unmoving.

And then the gun gradually lowered.

"Why are you here aru?" The danger was not avoided yet, however. The man's perverse glare was trained on you, almost daring you to try and run away again.

You weren't that stupid.

"I-I was heading home..." you started your story as calmly as you could, telling yourself that nothing you did was suspicious in any way. You didn't see anybody mysterious when you were with your friends, you didn't feel any type of eyes on the back of your head as you were walking home, and his face was a new face. It wasn't like you met him before some long time ago and had a horrible grudge with him. Everything was on your side. You just had to explain it as truthfully as you could; and no mix-ups or lagging, you only had one chance to do this. "I think I took a wrong turn, and I got lost. Everything is s-so dark and there are no houses that seem to be occupied, so..."

"You WALKED into here?"

_INTO here?_

"Y-Yes?"

"Alone?"

_Should you really answer that?_

"Y-Yes."

Another pause.

However, this pause was different from the others. The gunman pursed his lips and seemed to be thinking deeply about something. His glance trailed to outside the alley, as if looking for something, then back. You waited. It was the only thing you could do in the dramatic hesitation.

"Aiyaa..." He scratched the side of his head, frowning worriedly. His stare went from intimidating to troubled, and kept jerking his eyesight around the area. You couldn't help but follow his example and try to find what he seemed to be searching for, even though you knew catching sight of it would be even more dire to your situation.

He sighed, tossing his gun into a smooth-looking holster. "Okay. Get up."

"W-Wha...?" Still in a slight daze, you looked up to him.

"Get. Up." He abruptly clutched your arm and hoisted you up from your slumped position. You nearly toppled onto him, but caught your balance just as he tugged you out of the alleyway. He kept his hard grip on your arm. "We don't have as much time as it is aru."

However uncomfortable it was, you trailed along his footsteps, nearly running to keep up. He practically dragged you passed dingy streets and olden brick buildings, treading much too close to the edges of them to be considered trustworthy. Plus, his gaze darted around to abandoned homes and walkways as if something would jump out at any moment. You unintentionally accelerated to keep close to him.

"W-What's going on?" you asked, somewhat panicked. The man kept his investigating eyes on the road.

Wait. Was he trying to kidnap you?

"No time to explain aru." He immediately spun a random corner, yanking your arm with him. Another alley was down this way, and the two of you dodged littered boxes of rotting food and dumpsters reeking of fish. The only sounds you heard were the tapping of two pairs of shoes and your throbbing heart. In fact, you felt everything in your body throbbing. Your shoulder throbbed from the hauling, your feet throbbed from the dashing, and your head throbbed as it tries to process all the information.

Another tug and you were briskly passing by run-down shacks, their yards cluttered with aged garbage and muddy toys. From opened walls you could barely see the gleam of rusty appliances sitting on decaying shelves, and paint peeling to reveal beetles and maggots clutching on. The light was so dim that you had to squint to notice the other side of the street, which seemed so far away. Far away. You spun your head to behind you, watching the way you came from get smaller and smaller. So much for a quick walk home.

Home. It felt like such an inviting word at this moment.

Then he hurried across the road, once again keeping as close to the side as he could. These streets were like a maze, and you two were mice to be tested on. What could be hidden in this unfamiliar territory that this man was so cautious to avoid? A criminal? A monster? A demon? Your mind reeled at the possibilities.

That's when he froze.

You froze too, your ears suddenly coming alive for any possibility.

The man peered behind you, holding his lamp up high to examine, and you followed his gaze worriedly to glance upon the empty walkway. Your palms were sweating in anxiety, and you felt your body shake in fear. Your eyes lurched from one house to the next, awaiting a goblin or zombie to crawl out and screech at you. Nothing came, and that's what made you even more afraid. It was waiting, and you were waiting for it; and no matter what IT was, it had the gunman beside you worried.

He shoved an item in your hands.

"H-Huh?" Your fingers wrapped around something that felt like leather.

"Take this." A belt. A belt with a holster, cradling a metallic weapon. "Wear it somewhere they can't see it. Once they know your armed, they won't hold back aru."

He pulled you along once again, and you struggled to keep up, mentally and physically. "U-Um...! W-Who are THEY? Why would THEY come after me? I didn't do anything bad, I swear! I'm just trying to get-"

All of a sudden, he stopped and spun around, his bronze eyes staring straight into yours. His grave, almost stressed voice sent shivers up your spine. "This isn't just about YOU, Miss (Last name). They're after all of us. Now, you have two choices aru, and ONLY two choices. You can take that gun and fight them with us, or you can be their prey. Those are your options."

That was when he dropped your arm and continued his nimble pace alone. Terrified to be deserted in such a bloodcurdling setting, you jogged back to his side.

"B-But how do I get-?"

"Keep your voice low aru." he hissed, jerking his head around the surroundings as if your voice would awaken something.

"S-Sorry..." you breathed, once again fearfully following his gaze. The chill of night's wind nipped at your fingers as they curled themselves around a weapon. "Um... How do I get home? I-I don't want to hurt anybody, just..."

You turned to him desperately. However, he made a point of looking away from you, and you couldn't see his facial expression with the shadows dancing on his features. He spoke his next words in a hushed tone. "There is no way out."

"P-Pardon?" You blinked, and prayed to the heavens that you heard that voodoo sentence wrong. Your heart started to race in horror as he faced towards the bleak sky with faraway eyes.

"We've looked everywhere, but..." he whispered, a deep, painful sigh escaping his lips. "There is no way out aru."

Without looking at you, he took your wrist and dragged you along. The truth began to sink in for you. A dark place, a mystery loose in the streets, and you were trapped in here. The leather in your fingers hinted at your options, two options which you certainly did not want to take. Tears pricked your eyes.

"Y-You can't be serious...!"

His silence told you otherwise.

"W-Why are they after us? C-Can't we just talk things out?" You attempted to reason with the man, but he didn't even look back with his reply.

"It doesn't work like that aru." That was all he said, continuing his stiff stride passed darkened townhouses and run-down shops, their closed signs splattered across with disturbing crimson paint. You winced your head away.

"W-Why not?" You started to panic. Death. You could either die, DIE, or take this gun and kill, KILL. You took deep laboured breaths. This was your only life. You didn't have any chance to redeem yourself if you MURDERED something... Just as well, you didn't have another life. If you died here, that would be it. Murdering for your life, would it be worth it?

No. You refused to believe it. There must be SOME other way! "I-I mean... H-Hasn't history solved problems with treaties and border and rules and such? You make a deal. A... A... A compromise! You have your way and they have their way and-!"

"Just SHUT UP!" the man snapped. You instantly drew back, trying to snatch your arm away from his grip. It didn't work. "This isn't some kind of GAME aru! Do you really think we haven't TRIED those things?! Do you really think we WANT to fight to the death in this hell?! My comrades are being murdered by those... those... Those THINGS! And you expect me to TALK TO THEM?!"

You couldn't help it.

With the stress of everything happening so fast, with the fear and desperation which flooded your veins like a disease, and then the yelling? You just couldn't help it.

You started to cry.

You tried to rub the tears away, thinking that it would be bad if you showed such weakness, but your eyes flooded out all your fears. The man's face flashed from furious to apologetic in the blink of an eye, and realizing what he had done, he rushed to comfort you.

"Gāisǐ de... Xiànzài wǒ yǐjīng zuò dàole... I'm so sorry, Miss (Last name), Really I am..." He wrapped his arms around you for a hug, and you took the invitation, hiccuping tears into his chest. "I'm just... I'm as scared as you are aru. I was separated from my brothers and sister for so long, and I'm not even sure they're ALIVE anymore...!" He held you close, his voice shaking as you wiped the water away from your face. "This place is torture for everyone involved aru. We've all suffered so many losses and are put under so much stress... I can't even remember the last time I fell asleep without jumping to life at every little bump I heard... Please don't hate me, Miss... I-I'm so sorry aru..."

You took deep breaths, sniffing and sobbing. "I want to go home..."

He smiled cheerlessly, cradling you as if you were a child. "I know. Shh... I know."

These comforting words only made you cry more. You whimpered and tried to brush away the tears, but they continued to flow like a waterfall. He didn't complain as you clutched onto him, burying your face in his coarse, military-like clothes. You felt guilty for being so weak. You felt sick from the running and stomach-churning events. You felt dizzy. You felt tired. You felt selfish for wanting your warm bed, and you felt a vital need to see your family, to be in their arms, to be SAFE.

It was dark and lonely here.

_I don't want to be here..._

Gradually, which felt like an eternity, you drained your tears. You didn't want to though. You wanted to cry until everything turned out okay. You wanted to cry until the sun crept over bland buildings and your family would turn the corner, relief in their eyes, and rescue you from this nightmare. You wanted this person to say that everything would be okay. That this was a horrible dream. That everything you were feeling would only be for mere moments...

Nothing of the sort came from his lips.

You cleared away the droplets on your moist cheeks, and uncertainly, pulled away from his warm embrace.

"I... I'm okay..." you lied.

He held onto your shoulders, pleading with his eyes for forgiveness. "Are you sure aru?"

"Yeah..." You glanced to the ground. Pain struck you. Real pain. You were shivering. You were scared. It was dark and nobody was around. Alone. You felt alone. You tried to calm the stormy seas in your heart with deep and heavy breaths.

He looked at you worriedly, though you could hardly tell from the lack of light, but dropped his hold. A sudden chill passed your shoulders, and you couldn't help but let out a a whimper as you jumped and turned around. Nothing was there, but you couldn't stop your heart from racing and blood from pounding deep in your veins.

"There are others like me here aru. Others trying to escape." he explained softly, taking your hand and continuing on. You still had your eyes trained on the murky alleyways which surrounded you, fear and adrenaline pumping and tears begging to show. Anything could pop up. Anything. "If we find those people, we could form a group and it would be less scary, right? It almost makes me thankful that you came along aru..."

He trailed off as you took deep, shaky breaths, and let him pull you along the treacherous hallways of concrete. However, you could understand what he was saying. He was alone too. Scared. Frightened. Maybe not to the same degree, but human emotions nonetheless. There were nice people in the darkness after all, you realized as you thought over the events and tried to sort them out. This person was nice. This person helped you. You may possibly owe your life to this person.

Or he could be a liar, taking you away to a dark place where nobody could hear you scream.

You thought things through.

_INTO here, _He said. You bit your lip. Darkness was the only thing that surrounded that lamp in the stranger's hands. Not even a faraway promise of civilization. Everything was black.

Pitch black.

_Where am I?_

Fear and terror were dominant in this situation, as you continued to scour the surrounding streets with your paranoid glances, practically expecting something to lunge out. You came to realize that this man didn't really tell you anything other than there's no way out and you're in danger. You didn't even know his name.

Although, that sort of thing seemed trivial in a situation like this. Plus, he told you to keep quiet. Small talk would obviously not be appreciated.

The two of you were about to turn another corner until you heard it.

A snap.

You froze. He did too.

The snap didn't come from under your feet, but from the hazy other side of the street. You nearly yelped, but kept it in as you shuffled behind the man, whom cautiously lifted his wok like a shield, letting the light glow from the candle which stuck to the inside.

A low chuckle emanated from one of the deep alleys. "Oh... I seem to have been found out..."

The male you were with rushed you behind a nearby supermarket, just as you saw another figure make its appearance. A shadow, but no more than that. Although, with the gunman's eyes narrowing into slits, you knew that whoever this was, you did not want to get involved with them.

"Which one are you?" the male protecting you growled, flinging up his gun and aiming carefully. You buried yourself into a concrete wall, praying that you wouldn't suddenly feel something squishy or mouldy on its surface.

"Depends." the other, whom sounded male but in a slightly higher pitch than you were used to, dismissed. "Which one are YOU?"

"None of your business aru!" The first stranger suddenly froze at his own words.

The other giggled. "Well... THAT makes it obvious..."

"Why do YOU need to know anyways aru?!" If you thought the male seemed murderous when you first met him, you certainly took that back now. He practically spit fire at the newcomer. Whatever did this person do to deserve this treatment? You found yourself curious for answers, but terribly frightened that answers may lead to things you'd rather not witness...

"I guess... Ah, it doesn't matter after all..." You squinted your eyes, trying to catch any tangible glimpse of this new person. The male blocking you was covering up most of your vision, but from a crack, you noticed a dull silhouette standing there. Thin and medium-sized were the only concrete conclusions you witnessed. Maybe it was better not to look.

Yes. It would be better not to look.

Especially when he DID come into the light.

You gasped.

The man WAS thin and medium-sized, but was wearing blood like a coat. Real blood. Good God, real blood. Blotches of it ran up his boots, as if he had persevered through a river of the crimson substance. Tips of his copper hair were dripping with those disturbing tears, and across his skinny arms were gashes of wounds deeper than what the movies promoted. His yellow-green eyes held a savage tinge, and a pocketknife gleamed from the tips of his fingers, caked with rust. Or WAS that rust?

You whimpered as you tore your gaze away. It was like something from a horror film, but it was real. It was in front of you. The scent of that unwanted substance hit your nose, and you shrivelled away in fear.

"It doesn't matter if... say... there's one less of you, right?" The blond smiled and licked the blood off his slender fingers, causing his enemy to growl.

You almost had a heart attack as the first gunshot radiated within the street, letting out a small scream. The man in front of you held his weapon up to the enemy, whom expertly dodged the bullet with a speed you hadn't fathomed.

"Well now, that wasn't too nice, was it?" The crazed grin that spread across his face sent shivers up your spine.

"Like you have the right to talk."

A deep chuckle came from the other's lips, which escalated into an insane laugh. The first person held his ground as the seemingly-psychotic stranger shouted out for anyone to hear: "Don't you understand ANYTHING?! Don't you understand the SITUATION we're in?! Everything here is USELESS! It's all FUTILE! No matter what the situation, no matter who wins, it's all going to be the same ending!"

_What? WHAT?_

The blond held his arms out wide to show off his bloody frame. "EVERYONE WILL DIE!"

The black-haired male didn't answer.

You sent out shaky breaths as you backed away in horror.

No... You weren't just witnessing a battle.

This was a collection of many battles. The battle that blond must have had with that unnamed, dead soul, the battle this man must have been involved in to get separated from his siblings, and now this. _There are others like me here aru. Others trying to escape... _You froze in comprehension. How many battles were going on 'IN' here?

Something deep in your stomach churned.

You were witnessing a war.

* * *

**First of all, I'm REALLY sorry for butchering China. I used Google Translate because I don't know Chinese... I know it's a bad habit, but as of right now, it's all I have... I really DO enjoy it when other languages are included in fanfics, but I will use them sparingly. France won't come out of nowhere call you "ma chérie" every sentence, and Lovino won't cuss at everybody in Italian 300 times a chapter. SPARINGLY. Meaning they'll speak their mother tongue until they realize "the reader" speaks English, or when they're muttering under their breath. That seems fair, right? Right? No? Yes?**

**Shuí zài nà'er? = Who's there?**

**Jǔ qǐ shǒu lái. = Hands up.**

**Nǐ shì shéi? = Who are you?**

**Nihongo? English? Español? Rooskie yazik? = Japanese? (In Japanese) English? Spanish? (In Spanish) Russian? (In Russian) (Can ANYBODY imagine China speaking Spanish? XDD ... What? I had to add it in... It's one of the most-spoken languages in the world. It's right up there with Mandarin and English! But then again, every website I go to says something different... -_-) **

**Gāisǐ de... Xiànzài wǒ yǐjīng zuò dàole... = Damn... I've done it now...**

**Please help me. Please. ;_;**

**DISCLAIMERS: I don't own Hetalia, or any of the characters associated with it! I don't own Google Maps, or, well, anything related to Google! I DON'T OWN RIGHTWAY STREET, well, unless it doesn't exist, and in that case, I'd love to own it! X3 Buuuut I probably don't own it. -_- Oh! Or iPods! I don't own the company that makes iPods, or the iPods themselves! YOU might not even own an iPod, and in that case: Here! Have a random virtual iPod for your journey in this story. *gives virtual iPod* It's like a virtual cookie, but you can't virtually eat it... Uh... B-But I could be wrong... O-o Do you WANT to eat a virtual iPod...?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, all you lovely people~! *totally isn't sucking up to you* :3**

**Sorry it took so long to update... But there seem to be more follows and favourites on my Hetabob Squarelia (Yes. I call it that. It's a very... creative name, eh? -_-"), so I started with that one~! I'm going to alternate between my two stories, so don't worry about either of them becoming, well, "on hiatus". I won't go away for five months without a good reason~! And all of my stories I plan to finish! YAAAY~! (I just need to watch out for the homework monsters this Halloween... -_-)**

**Hey, does China seem OOC to you guys? I don't know... I see him acting as a father-figure in this type of situation. Do you think it works? This is my first time writing about China (Well, this is practically my first fanfiction alongside Hetabob...), so... Feedback! Whenever you feel like it!**

**Enjoy... ;)**

* * *

The lighter-haired male lunged, with the pocketknife glittering in the candlelight. It slashed much too close to the other, whom blocked the attack with his cooking utensil. The smash of blade on bowl screeched and made your ears vibrate, which forced you to jump back and cover your senses. However, you kept your eyes trained on the fight, watching as bloody intent drove between the battlers.

A wok was swung and hit the fragile cheek of the enemy, whom toppled to the cobblestone flooring. He eased himself up and made a sudden obstruction with his slim arms as the weapon came down to him again. That maroon substance slithered down his dingy forehead as he pushed at the impasse, knocking your saviour away. This gave him some time to jump up to his feet, but still seemed to be breathing heavily in the provocation. The other glared.

"Is that the best you can do?"

He swung the pocketknife, which your saviour expertly hindered once again, using the bowl to shield any and every advancement the other made. He fired the gun, but the enemy seemed to expect where the metallic device was shooting and, quite literally, dodged the bullet. He hissed in frustration, but the enemy snickered.

"Come on, CHINA." He purred, persuading his rival with sickening words. "Kill me like you killed the others; like you killed Litwa. Kill me like I killed your dear sister. Let's kill everybody, you stupid DOUBLE! We'll all die together in this beautiful box of hell!"

Another shot. Another giggle. You were unable to see well, and had to squint your eyes if the newcomer stepped out of the light. But you could hear the battle. The clang of the rusty appliances, the smell of fungus at your feet, it was all too REAL. That sight of two barbaric men, with the intent of MURDERING each other, out in the shrouded streets. Their crimson-dyed hair flickered, and their eyes held no signs of guilt or righteousness. Was this what a war was like? It was only then when you realized your enemy only had four fingers on his left hand. You didn't dare examine just to make sure.

It was disturbing, to say the least. Cold sweat poured from your forehead, and you were shaking as your jaw clattered together to the rhythm of the battle. The scent of rust and decay reached your senses, where you felt as if you could practically taste the the horrid texture of blood on your tongue. What were you supposed to do in this situation? Help? Hide? Run for assistance? Every one of those options sounded wrong to your numb ears. It was only a 50-50 chance now, and you didn't want to be here if your flip of the coin ended up face-down. However, trudging along the streets where THIS PERSON would still be lurking? What else were you supposed to do?

You fiddled with the device in your hands.

Oh, duh. The gun.

The gun.

A GUN.

You were almost sent into a fit of hysterics. Unlike the waxy toys at the supermarket, this item was smooth and slid along your fingers like the side of a blade. The indents curved neatly into crevasses with meaning, and the handle felt much too recognizable to your liking. This small device, with that taunting trigger, could cause death. One curious push of a switch was all it took. One innocent, tentative push...

Even you could do it.

Murder.

Another bullet pulled your gaze back to the duel, where it seemed like your saviour was clutching onto his shoulder and panting heavily as he aimed. The other still had that corrupted grin plastered on his features, but his breaths were ragged as he held the side of his gut securely. Scarlet draped over their wounds as they continued to charge at each other, swinging those calloused weapons and attempting to toss the other away. They were ignoring you completely.

You could do it.

But... COULD you do it?

_Do it. _Was it your conscience speaking? Your mind? You had no way to determine the answer. _He'll die at this point._

_YOU'LL die at this point..._

You had he answer wrapped inside your frigid fingers, fingers that started to resist when you slipped the index through that simple hole. Was it easy to fire a gun? Was it easy to murder? The handle made it feel familiar and simple, gliding its bumpy sides into your palm. Aim and fire. Your hand locked in position. You could actually do this. Kill. Murder.

If that man died, there would be no problem, right? If he lived, he would kill you, right? This was self-defence, right? Hands cupped around the grip, and you held it up your chest. Aim and fire? Was that it? How would you aim? What if you missed? Your mind reeled as that simple device shook your palms.

The enemy kicked your saviour down and tossed the knife in his hand, which sunk into the other's shoulder. He screeched in pain, but the brunette wasn't finished with him yet. As the man with the ponytail tried to get back up, he was kicked down. The enemy smirked as he ripped the blade free from soft skin and started to joyously mark the other with vermilion paint.

_Damn it, (Name)! He's killing him and you're just STANDING there?!_

You felt as if the gun itself was speaking to you. And it terrified you.

_Kill him! KILL HIM! He's killing him! PULL THE FUCKING TRIGGER!_

But to kill...? To MURDER somebody...?

_PuLl thE fUcKinG TrigGeR!_

A blaring gunshot echoed through the streets.

And it wasn't from the scene ahead of you.

A silence crossed as both sets of eyes turned to you, and only then did you realize it was YOUR finger which was clutching down on the handle. YOU were the one who aimed the gun. You had obeyed, unconsciously, to that murderous desire instead of the timid belief that this was wrong. That this was not the way to settle things.

Was that horrid desire... Your own desire?

The silence stopped as a giggle escalated into a laugh.

"You missed, kochanie!" But you could barely hear those gleeful words as you peered down to that tiny device in terror. Did that really happen? Was that really... YOU? The uneven shaking of your heart made your ribcage close to exploding, and your breathing wavered to the point of delirium. Your own desire... What IS your own desire...? "How cute! They want to-!"

A deafening crack crushed the air as a wok was flung into a delicate skull. The enemy grew limp as he was tossed away, landing on the ground like a rag doll would. You looked up just as you saw the darker-haired male ease himself up, staggering with irregular movements, and stood over the other. However, your head forced itself to turn away as you saw him hold his rigid weapon up for another strike.

One.

Two.

Were your tears streaming because you were afraid? Because you were sad? The scent of blood and mold tumbling around was too much for your nose to handle. You felt sick. You felt dizzy. Your stomach did backflips and was about to let everything go in a matter of seconds. Another crunch of those bones echoed and your legs gave out.

Silence.

Your head throbbed, and you clutched onto it as the world started to spin. However, that accessible, metallic device stayed glued within your grasp. You hated it. You hated how it felt. You hated how it felt so damn SIMPLE. You wanted to throw it at a wall. You wanted to scream at it. _You are the reason we have wars! You are the reason people fight! You are the reason people can kill and get away so quickly! It's YOUR fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!_

You were about to take a life.

In your fingers, you had fired that gun of your own free will.

You had agreed to this direction now, whether you meant to or not.

Was this killing intent now a part of you?

Footsteps._Where are they coming from? Are they coming closer? No! Don't come any closer! It wasn't my fault! Don't hurt me! I didn't kill him! I DIDN'T KILL HIM!_

"Your name... is (Nane)*, correct?"

You froze. This voice felt familiar. It felt kind. You felt your nerves relax as a compassionate hand was placed on your scalp, and your mind slowed down to a speed you could handle. Slowly opening your eyes, your pupils focused on the amber glow of the pavement below. A light. Tawny shoes and white bandages came into your gaze. You looked up, meeting his worried stare.

"Are you all right aru?"

He was covered in blood, from what you could tell in the darkness. The attack from the other man's blade smeared wounds across his chest, arms, and face. However, the worst-looking one seemed to be just under his collarbone, where a gash shimmered through ripped clothing. He supported his left shoulder, where the pocketknife had made a direct hit only moments ago, but you had no way to see how deep the indent ended up being.

His appearance scared you.

It terrified you.

And you were a partner now.

You whimpered and pressed your back to the soggy, stone wall. Your breath choked on the thick tears flooding your cheeks. Why was this happening? Why was THIS happening?!

"Miss... I really wish we could stay around, but..." He turned anxiously to the murder scene which you wouldn't dare look back at. No. You didn't want to see a dead human. Monster or not, it still LOOKED human. "The others probably heard that too aru... And... Well, if they come around to help their fallen comrade..."

The OTHERS.

How many OTHERS?

He reached down to you warily, and gently squeezed your shoulder. you peered up to him as he knelt down to your height, a small smile crossing his injured cheeks. "It's okay aru. I'll make sure you get home..."

Home. Home...

_I want to go home..._

You let him ease you up, still in mild shock from the life-scarring event, and followed as he led you through the streets again. He was limping, and you weren't in the best shape either. Your legs felt like jelly, wobbling as you took dizzying steps onwards, which did not help when the world was still doing somersaults. Dusky buildings and fields of navy blue whirred by and mixed together like a blur.

_Where am I going? Where is he taking me? Will we be attacked again? Why is this happening? Why is he involved? What is this war about? Who's in charge? Are there other people who tumbled INTO here like me and weren't as lucky?_

Your stomach churned and twisted. That poisonous scent of mud mixed with blood and metal was too much. You had to pull away from this man's support and heave into a nearby trash can. Tears streamed down, and you felt weak, gasping as you regained your breath. You felt horrible and sick as that horrible taste of waste flooded your mouth. You wanted to lie down. Why won't the earth stop spinning?

The man didn't look surprised as you coughed out your insides, only pat you softly on the back and take out a piece of cloth from his pocket.

"Bùyào dānxīn, don't worry..." He spoke softly, pressing the fabric to your cheek and began rubbing away the debris. You scrunched your nose at the smell of it. "Opium and his damn son laughed at me after I had the same reaction to this scent earlier on aru..."

He was like a father. Comforting you even when he was worse off. Taking care of you even when he was the one who was hurt. Protecting you. Helping you even though you were a stranger... All were fatherly actions...

Maybe he WAS a father.

You hiccuped mournfully as you let him clean your cheeks. Unable to say anything yet, you looked at those amber eyes and for the first time, saw what he actually looked like. He was Asian, with his hair parted in the middle and strands falling limply beside his face. From the lamplight, you were now sure of the olive tint in the man's uniform, and noticed a rather unique crimson armband which slung around his bicep. He smelt like odd spices that made your nose tickle, but you couldn't place a name to any of the scents which wafted by. You also couldn't tell how old he was. Older than you, of course, but you couldn't tell much other than that.

"There..." He whispered, pulling back and removing the material from your face. You would never admit it, but you were a bit relieved for this, as that cloth smelt of mucus and mud. It had probably been used before. "Better?"

You wanted to help too. You wanted to be that kind of heroine who would look after people, who would be strong and powerful and not the backup character who cries throughout the entire series. You wanted to swipe that cloth from his hands and clean his wounds. To help him. To heal him...

But you knew that could never happen. You knew nothing about treating wounds. Stick a band-aid on it and you were always good to go. Never before have you had to look after wounds like this. And if you did, you got stitches from a professional nurse who had years and years of training.

Now the guilt started to sink in. You couldn't do anything, could you? You couldn't even aim that gun properly, not that you wanted to be responsible for a murder. No, you weren't saying that you WANTED to kill, just that you couldn't. If it came down to it, and you HAD to shoot to stay alive, you wouldn't even be able too! Not even to save YOURSELF! Not even if it was YOUR LIFE hanging by a thread! And no beginners luck would be rooting for your side either...

Your heart clenched even more as you faced downwards to your feet. Your eyes were getting used to the darkness little by little, but it was still unfamiliar, especially without the streetlights. You nodded silently.

"Okay. Let's keep going. Tell me if you need to stop again aru." He began walking onwards. You followed wordlessly.

The towers of grey weren't smudged together anymore. You had gained somewhat control of that unsteady feeling, and tried to keep your head on straight as you followed the long-haired man. However, you still felt slightly sick from your earlier act, tastes still attacking your tongue which you wished you could spit out. You held strong though, and carried along. You didn't know where the two of you were headed in these murky hallways, but you had a feeling that wherever you would end up, it wasn't going to get any better.

You had to say something.

There were so many questions. So many questions. Angry waves of them swirling and tumbling in your mind. You had to ask one. At least one.

With a couple of tries, like your lips making moves to speak even when you had no words, or the butterflies kept them down, or you chickened out; you started to form your question. Ultimately coming up with, "Um...! Who... Who ARE you?"

He was silent for a moment. Not too long a moment, but still a moment. He could possibly focusing on the rugged walkways below, where stones lay unlatched and hazardous for the obnoxious to trip upon. At least the appalling scent had become mild as you got farther away. "My name is Wang Yao... But you can just call me Yao for now. This death trap isn't really the place for formalities aru..."

You agreed speechlessly, even knowing that he wouldn't be able to see your indications. Another question? Which one now? _Why are you here? Why are THEY here? Who are THEY? Why do they want to kill you? Why did you say I walked INTO here?_

"Okay, um..." You grasped for a specific question. One that wouldn't be too in depth, but would make you less confused. One that would make sense. One that didn't need a long story to explain or draw attention to the both of you in any way. "Who are... THEY...?"

A sudden left turn, which you two ducked into, lead to a cobblestone ramp. It lead to what looked like a deserted marketplace, where stalls lay empty and ripped apart, their rotten fruits tumbling messily along the street where cockroaches scampered fearlessly along the darkness. You shivered thinking about bugs collecting at your feet, but... It could always be worse, you confirmed, looking to the male beside you.

"That's... A complicated question aru..." He explained, furrowing his brow and rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't stop though, and kept the same pace as you turned another roundabout. "They are... How do I explain this...? Our opposites? Bù, zhèshì bùduì dè... Not really our opposites, but a mirror reflection? A twisted mirror?"

You were sure he didn't need to look back to feel your confusion.

"It's a long story aru." Yao dismissed shortly. "We're not even sure how they got here or what they really want, but... Well... They want us gone either way. I think they even dragged the little ones into here..."

There is was again. INTO here.

"The little ones?" You tumbled over a loose pipe, but quickly caught your balance as you tried to keep up with him. The sky wasn't even close to letting out a beam of sunshine. What time could it possibly be now? Midnight? You quivered at the thought of your worried family.

He sighed heavily, clearly distressed by the topic. "There are a lot of us aru. Big and small. I... I'm not sure who exactly got pulled in, but..." A pause as he spun around and peered behind the two of you, just in case. Your heart still pounded heavily as the dusky air still gave you a fright, even without his paranoia. "I mean, anybody who HAS come in is in danger aru. We need all the help we can get, but..."

You went quiet, thinking about these people, fighting for their lives. Trapped inside, running, hiding... Trying to SURVIVE with nothing but their hopes to keep them company. How long had THIS been going on for? "I... I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

A deep sigh escaped your lips. This hurt. Thinking about it hurt. "I'm not helpful, and I can't help if that happens again... And I can't shoot a gun... And..."

"It's okay, Miss (Last name)." He quietly interrupted. "I don't expect you to fight. Only to survive. And at this point, even that seems like a herculean task..." After the two of you ducked into another alleyway, this man surprised you by suddenly facing you. "Just know that you have this, okay? Just in case aru." He tapped on the weapon in your hands. You froze as he did so.

With that, he took hold of the holster, which you hadn't realized you were still clutching onto with pale knuckles. "But... You should hide it somewhere they can't see aru. If they know you're armed, they'll think you're one of us. At least if you LOOK like a bystander, they won't try to torture you... I think aru...".

I think. There were the key words. Even he seemed troubled by this thought that 'they' would have no mercy at all. "If one of them, well, converses with you, I think the best thing to do would be to play the innocent role. Some of them might try and play with your mind first, but... I think you should try to make it through this using as little violence as possible, especially since you don't know the rules..."

_Rules? What... RULES?_

Regardless of this question, the man continued on as if nothing seemed abnormal. "But... I think, the best thing to do, regrettably, is to kill any enemy who lays eyes on you aru. If they know you're on our side, they'll tell others, and then more of THEM will go after you. If someone threatens you, kill them. If someone seems dangerous, kill them. You can't let them know you're here, and can't give them a reason to look for you aru. If you shoot, nobody can tell magically who the murderer was, so you'd be safe if you stay invisible like that aru..."

He spoke his next words even more hushed than before. "Kill them all. If you can avoid it, that's great aru. But... Just remember that this enemy needs to die. You cannot hold back. We need to kill them. All of them. They're dangerous and cruel and who knows what they've done to the people I know aru..."

Your heart clenched. Kill them all. Were those really words to live by? That alloy device slipped out of your fingers as Yao pulled it free from your grasp. He took the holster too, and returned the weapon to its rightful spot. Once it returned to your grasp, you peered up to him for guidance.

"Oh. Well, you can't really hide that anywhere, can you aru?" He noticed with a furrow of his brow. "Um... What about...?" Unable to say what he would, he indicated with his hands, tracing his fingers along his ribcage. You looked down, noticing the hiding spot he was talking about.

Unsure of this idea, you slightly lifted the bottom of your shirt and watched as Yao turned his head away. You undid the belt and slipped it around your figure, just underneath your chest. The leather was sleek, but chilly, along your skin, and felt uncomfortable in that position. Unusual. You squirmed as the holster tapped against your stomach, and the tightness of the belt almost constricted your airflow. However, you realized that 'hiding' this weapon wasn't as easy as it sounded, and this was the best it was going to get.

"That will be fine." He whispered softly, examining you when you finished. "In this light, it's hard to tell that there's anything wrong aru..."

You were unsure of this, since you especially FELT a difference, but were forced to take his word for it. There was nothing else you could do. You could wrap it around your waist, but would that be the first place THEY look to see if you have a weapon? There was nothing you could do about it. You pursed your lips, only able to reply: "Okay... Th-Thank you..."

Your voice was still suffering as anxiety kept a firm grip on your throat, but you were at least thankful about getting more answers now than before. He nodded curtly. "Méi guān xì. As long as you stay safe aru."

The two of you set off after that, repeating the same motions as you did in every walkway. You could see more now, but still no streetlights dared to flicker on and no light from the moon paraded onto you. As you looked up, you realized there wasn't even a moon. Strange... Would this be creepier or less creepy than a full moon watching over you?

You shivered as a cold wind passed by the open streets. The townhouses you saw before were now replaced with miniature apartments and city-like sidewalks. You swore you saw a large-scale grocery store, but the words had either fallen off or faded away, as you couldn't tell the name of it. The two of you passed a parking lot, but didn't dare go anywhere near, as you recognized that 'out-in-the-open' would likely lead to extreme danger. The cars still remaining there looked as if they had been mauled and run over by monster trucks.

This 'city area' contradicted greatly with the place you had first been, as toxins and cleaning products were the scent which flooded the skies. That bitter feel of hairspray played with your taste buds and the hairs in your nose, as your hands felt dry from the pollutants of the air. It was too dark to tell whether the puddles you saw were of water or oil.

"I have another question..." You exclaimed quietly, trying to ignore this new environment which you weren't particularly fond of. At least you didn't feel like vomiting anymore. "Who are YOU. As in, your side of this... Battle?" What else were you supposed to call it? "Why would they want YOU? Do YOU all know each other or are people chosen at random...?"

"Um..." Hesitantly, after tugging you through another narrow pathway and into an open street, he replied. "WE are-"

But he was interrupted.

A creak of a floorboard.

Yao cussed something foreign under his breath.

In one of the nearby buildings, a door swung open and three figures strolled out. At first, they didn't notice the two of you, but as the tallest looked up, the blood-coloured eyes bore into your line of sight. The light was dim, but those eyes were clearly visible.

"Ah... N-Narod...?" His voice was deep, but you couldn't see any sign of a grin with that ashen scarf covering most of his face. His rose orbs corresponded with the baby blue and violet ones of the girls beside him, and his ebony jacket - which nearly seemed like a trench coat - blended in perfectly to the night. However, the faucet pipe in his hand seemed unsettling to your soul, as he held it confidently, like a weapon, and there seemed to be crimson spilling over the top of it. You unconsciously felt a shiver cross your spine.

The girls beside him only made this man look MORE threatening. One woman had a slaughterous stare and short, bleach-blond hair which held suspicious maroon leaves tangled in it. She had a larger chest, peeking out from an ivory corset with had a cerise bow at the top of it. Her denim jeans only went to about knee-length, were frayed at the bottom, and had straps which swung loose by her hips. She also seemed to wear a short-sleeved sweater, hanging off one shoulder, which was pitch black in the scenery around you. She held a gun.

The other was a shorter girl with darker hair and two ponytails wrapped within flowery bands. She wore a carnation-pink maid dress, and had a cute, innocent smile spread across her face. She also seemed to wear frilly gloves which matched the uniform, and was wrapping the fingers along the handle of a meat cleaver.

You froze in shock. More of THEM? So soon? But it only felt like ten minutes! You couldn't take your eyes off their weapons, which looked much more deadly compared to the pocketknife the two of you had encountered moments ago. Once again, your ragged breathing accelerated, and your body went into stress-mode. If that event before didn't kill you, would this one?

Death.

The familiar scent of it bombarded your nose, and you started to feel dizzy once again.

"Rasija?" The youngest-seeming one piped up with a childlike tone, tugging at the large male's sleeve. "My budziem zabivać ich?"

You didn't understand. You had no way to understand. Yao once again held his wok at the ready as you feared what it meant when the enemy nodded.

"Da. Dumayu, chto da..."

The older woman to the left rolled her eyes and barked a command with similar articulation. Her words melded together into meaningless puddles in your brain, and you felt dizzy with all this pointless information piling up.

As if that was a signal, the smaller female charged, with the other following closely behind. You jumped back as Yao blocked both of them with his cooking utensil and pushed them away. The girl giggled and said something you couldn't hear, which made the woman grunt in response. The youngest went in for another attack, while you noticed the elder prepare her weapon and aim precisely.

"Look out!" You quickly warned, which your partner turned and evaded the attack. Backing away, you wondered if you should aid in this battle, slowly tracing over the lump beside your stomach. Could you do it this time? Your heart pounded at the possibility, and your head started to spin. The sound of your gunshot still rang in your ears. Could you do it? Could you do it?

However, as the Chinese male fought those two women, you had completely forgotten about the fact that there was a third person. Suddenly, you spun around to find yourself face-to-face with him. That tall, frightening male with those cherry eyes towered over you, and you fell backwards trying to shuffle away.

"P-Privet, nemnogo podsolnechnogo..." He whispered, suddenly clutching onto your hair. A yelp emitted from your lips as pain throbbed from your scalp. "Pochemu ty zdesʹ?"

You struggled to get free, which only inflicted more pain on your skull. Tears struck your eyes as you attempted to push him away, only to have your wrist captured by a forceful grasp.

"Mne ochen' zhal'..." He hissed quietly, watching you try to wriggle free while moving the faucet up to your neck. It was sticky against your skin and you whimpered as you clamped your eyes shut. However, the male soon dropped his hold as a gunshot was fired, and toppled to the ground below. You squirmed away in fright, gasping with alarm, but looked up only to see Yao a ways away with a revolver in hand.

"RUN, damn it, RUN!" He called to you. "I can't protect you and fend these guys off at the same time aru! RUN AWAY!"

Just as he yelled this, the lengthy-haired girl popped up and swung again with her knife, aiming for the man's face. However, he dodged at the last second, leaving only his leg to be grazed. The older woman growled and aimed her barrel carefully.

You had a choice. You had a gun. You could fight too, you know? Try and become a hero? But you knew that that was impossible. You couldn't aim a gun without feeling a bit woozy. At best, you knew you could only distract them. And then lose your life? No. You didn't want that. You wanted to live.

But you wanted him to live too.

Taking deep breaths, you peered to your shirt, where that weapon of yours lay dormant under. You didn't like how it felt to shoot a gun. You didn't want to be responsible for a murder. But did you have a choice? You did. You could run. Flee. Survive.

And then his words came into your mind: _Kill Them All._

Now, you have two choices: Fight or Run.

What do you plan to do?

* * *

**FOR THE * "(Nane)" = I rarely add stars, but this is important. When China asks if your name is "Nane", he doesn't actually say your name right. So pick the closest thing to your actual name. For instance, my "name" would be Cookie, and China would ask me if my name was... Uh... Snookie? Okay, maybe your name is easier to mess up than my username. Anyways...**

**And now: The fail!Google Translate... Can I stress enough that I have no knowledge of languages? The only second language I have is Japanese... and a VERY rough understanding of French... But I'm not going to use Japan and/or France 24/7... ^^"**

**Kochanie = Baby, sweetie, etc. (Polish)**

**Bù, zhèshì bùduì dè... = No, that's not it... (Thanks for the translation, Iricelli! XDD)**

**N-Narod...? = P-People...? (Russian)**

**Rasija? My budziem zabivać ich? = Russia? We kill them? (Belarusian)**

**Dumayu, chto da... = I guess so... (Russian)**

**P-Privet, nemnogo podsolnechnogo... Pochemu ty zdesʹ? = H-Hello, little sunflower... Why are you here? (Russian)**

**Mne ochen' zhal'... = I'm sorry... (Again, Russian... Lol. That rhymed... XD)**

**I have to say... It was HARD imagining 2P!Ukraine. I could do Belarus pretty easy: just add pink and hearts~! But for Ukraine, it was a little difficult to imagine a 2P outfit for her. Eventually I came up with: "Well, Ukraine is innocent and nice, so the 2P! should be bloodthirsty and stoic?" I don't know. I kind of based her outfit on a mix between Fem!2P!France and Fem!2P!America (2P!Belarus's look was based on Fem!1P!Canada with a pink dress). Whatever works, right? -_-**

**DISCLAIMERS~! (Which I totally didn't forget at first *cough*) I don't own Hetalia! Or anything else! I don't even own a gun... Or a meat cleaver... I don't even own you! You didn't even WRITE the story and you own more than me! DX**

**P.S. - The guy who died in the beginning? My fail 2P!Poland. You like? Yes? No?**


	3. Chapter 3

**YAAAAY! You made it to chapter 3 of a non-historical Hetalia fanfiction with no yaoi WITHOUT blowing up! :D You, my friend, are a trooper. XD**

**Anyways... I want to say that if this story gets taken down, I will find somewhere else to upload it. I know... What are those guys? The Eliminators? Well, reader-inserts aren't exactly "legal" here, are they? Ah, nonetheless... I will not give up on this story! If one day you wake up and it's not here, I will do everything I can to upload it again, or find another website to post it on. I said I wasn't going to give up until this story is finished, and that's exactly what I'm going to do! XD**

**Alright, something you need to know about this chapter: Snapped!Reader. I wasn't expecting anybody snapping this soon... But... Here it is, I guess... I actually don't like it. I don't like my Snapped!Reader... So be warned. Fail!Snapped!Reader ahead... -_-**

**Enjoy~! :D**

* * *

It was the hardest decision of your life.

Dashing through the darkness, as branches cut at your arms and legs trying to drag you back, your heart lurched with complaint. The rustling of the bushes you shoved aside was the only thing you could hear in the forest as you tumbled over large rocks, skinned your legs on stray roots, and bumped into randomly places obstacles. You couldn't hear anything through the severe pounding of your head or the desperate gasps which escaped from your lips, but that fact alone made you sweat more. Anybody could be in this forest. They could jump out at any time. The jagged bark of the trees scratched and clawed at your skin, but you raced onwards. On and on and on you went.

You had decided to run.

Words hammered into your skull. _Coward. Wimp. Traitor. He did so much for you and this is how you repay him? By running away when he could DIE?_

_No! NO! I want to live! I JUST WANT TO LIVE!_

_SURE! Because YOUR life is the only thing that matters!_

_Shut up. SHUT UP. SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!_

You screamed as you tripped over a stray root and tumbled into the dirt below. Your elbow seared with pain, and you felt the grime wash over you and into your strands of hair. You were sobbing; with remorse, with pain, with guilt, with anger, with hopelessness. You punched the saturated mud below. Why couldn't you be stronger? Why couldn't you do ANYTHING?

You dropped your head and cried into your filthy arms.

_Where am I?_

_Where AM I?_

_Why am I here?_

These questions taunted you with spindly fingers which seemed to wrap around your neck. In an attempt to choke you with regret? To kill you with grief and sorrow? You wheezed for air, as the thickness of the atmosphere made you feel like you were taking in the gritty texture of cigar smoke. The scent wasn't the best either, as pine mixed with some kind of banana aroma and was wrapped together with a whiff of oil. You spent more time coughing than actually breathing.

Your body felt weak. Your legs slumped like lead as you pursued a standing position. Clutching onto the nearest tree, you yanked yourself up, attempting to balance on a world made of jello. Your feet felt misplaced and were positioned in uncanny angles, but you eventually started to stagger onwards.

_Where am I going?_

It was too late to turn back. You recalled the absolute terror which crawled across your veins as the larger male whom had been shot started to ease himself up. You recalled the petrifying glare the older woman gave you as she cocked her gun and seemed to raise it up to aim at you. You recalled the younger girl grinning like a maniac, whose crazed eyes met with yours as if to say: _You're next_.

You ran.

You sprinted through the first alleyway you could find and dashed along random corridors and hallways. It would be just your luck if you returned to the same scene by accident, but you didn't. Your random sense of direction lead you passed city landscapes, aimless overturned statues, and eventually into a dusty forest. But you kept running. You couldn't do anything else. You kept running.

_I'm so sorry, Yao... Please forgive me... Please..._

_He's not GOING to forgive you! You DITCHED him!_

_No! I didn't mean to-!_

_If he dies IT'S YOUR FAULT!_

_No! Stop! STOP!_

_YouR FaulT! yoUR fauLt! it'S alL yOuR FauLt!_

It hurt. Everything hurt. Black spots flooded your gaze, and your lungs felt like they were on fire. You were vibrating in the piercing air, which easily passed through your clothes and poked at your skin with icicle hands. You whimpered in pain as you tried to run on, but your limps would not obey. Was that a tree? You crashed into it and fell down once again.

_YOU DESERVE THIS! THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT!_

_I just want to go HOME!_

_YOU DESERVE TO DIE! DiE! dIe! DiE!_

_NO! NO! STOP! GOAWAYGOAWAYGOAWAY!_

You curled up into a ball and pressed your back to an inky trunk. Bawling into your arms, you covered your senses to the world.

_I don't want to see._ You impeded the forest by closing your eyelids. Inky darkness was forced to be your only view.

_I don't want to feel._ The umber puddle you plopped into, which was soaking your lower body, didn't exist anymore.

_I don't want to hear._ You blocked out the wind's call.

_I don't want to smell._ You cut off your ties with the pine.

_I don't want to taste._ That bitter sense of smoke was exhaled.

_I don't want to be here. _So you weren't. You weren't anywhere. You were in your own dark world; a place where there was absolutely nothing. Black. Pitch black. Black upon black upon black. Where nobody could come and take you away. Where nobody could interfere with your ragged thoughts. Where you were safe. Where you were alone and contained and nothing would reach out and grab you.

_I want to be home._ So you pictured home. Your friendly blankets which cascaded over your body as you slept in your own bed. Your own room, your own colours with your own prized possessions blooming and shimmering to your gaze. Familiar scents flowed from your kitchen; that mouthwatering aroma of dinner. Your family was there. All of them. They smiled at you, and you felt your heart glow.

You gradually opened your eyes.

You were in a forest. Trees and stumps and moss overflowed your peeking stare. A twisted fragrance of life and death curled around your body as the persistent wind urged you onwards. You quivered in the ever-decreasing weather. Were you walking to the poles or something? The temperature was almost arctic. The damp grass soaked into your clothes, and the bark of your resting spot felt like sandpaper to your back. The sky cast a charcoal paintbrush over the world, covering every colour with sooty remains. Like a somber funeral casket with no exit. That sky; always reminding you that you were trapped. That you were HERE.

Correction: IN here.

Just for now, you wanted to curl up and cry.

The guilt drowned you. How would you ever be able to forget it? You would do anything to go back and change your decision; to go back and BE one of those heroes who makes that last-minute save. To BE one of those people who could hold up that gun and make them surrender. To BE that somebody who could stand loyal even if it meant death. To be beside and support for that man who supported for you...

_Could he win that battle?_

You desperately prayed that he would. Wang Yao, right? You owed your life to him. Karma HAS to be on his side. There's no way he would die, right?

Your heart dropped.

Would you ever find out? No. Probably not.

_Deep breaths, (Name)... It's okay... You're okay..._

You're not dead.

That's what you wanted, right?

You rubbed your temples and gasped heavy, suffocating breaths. Body still buzzing with adrenaline, your hand unconsciously slid down to your pocket. It came into contact with that smooth indent from your iPod. You transferred it out hesitantly. Was it really the time to be worrying about stuff like this? You turned it on and checked the time. All you needed was the time.

8:35 am.

_What?_

You looked up to the atmosphere. No. No sign of daylight anywhere. Truth be told, it looked like the forever-expanding midnight that winter contains. That wasn't the only thing which was strange; you swore you left that restaurant no later than nine. Absolutely before then, you were sure of it. Twelve hours? It wasn't possible. You frantically searched that clock for mistakes until...

This is the time for Volgograd, Russia.

_Huh? Why did it change to...?_

You quickly switched the clock. Even the time it changed to seemed off in your eyes.

Something was definitely wrong here.

IN here.

You fumbled uneasily, sliding the device back into its place. You felt tired. You wanted to sleep. This was all just too much confusion at one time. Maybe if you rested, you would get a better understanding of your surroundings. But how? There was no way to. Even if you DID close your sagging eyelids, your ears would perk at any and every noise in this wood. You never DID get to ask how many of THEM resided IN here. 10? 20? 100? 300? Your stomach swirled. A war.

But what DID you know?

Not a lot. What did he mean when he said _A twisted mirror_? _Our opposites_? It was like a cryptic message from a Sci-Fi movie. You looked up to the sky regretfully. Should you keep moving?

You pushed yourself up.

_Maybe I should go back and see if Yao's there..._

Your heart lurched at the idea.

You wouldn't. You couldn't.

Because if Yao DID die...

You staggered along the way you were headed before. North? South? You really didn't know. Crickets chirped and sang throughout the thicket, and a few toads muttered to themselves. There was no rustling from nearby, scurrying animals, nor was there haunting hoots of an owl. You wondered how populated IN here was. The sounds of creatures relaxed you, and yet, the fact that other life was surrounding you was terrifying. Jaguars? Cougars? Bears? Other natural predators? What would you do if THEY weren't the only danger here? You could die of natural causes too. Starvation. Thirst. Even the thought of food made your throat dry.

A deep sigh escaped your lips as your mind observed the wind's sound. You didn't hear the resonance of nearby figures; however, that didn't mean you were free of danger. Your heart pounded as you thought of every horror movie known to your eyes coming to life. How the enemy could pop up behind you like nothing. Paranoid, you sun your head around. Nothing was there. Not that you could see much anyways within the thick bushes.

You continued tentatively, each step going a bit faster as your eyes darted back and forth. Escape from this hell must be somewhere. Somewhere. There was no way you could walk into this seemingly other world like nothing and have absolutely no way of escaping. You only took a wrong turn! ONE wrong turn! It must be a lie. It MUST be. A nightmare like this couldn't possibly exist. You were just dreaming. Just dreaming!

Yeah! Just a dream! It was all just a dream! No such war could exist in today's world! Not here in (Your country)! Not here in (Your town)! Of course not! Of course not! Aha! What were you thinking, actually believing this stuff? There was no way a man like Wang Yao could ACTUALLY exist! And battles like this only happens in the movies! Real life is boring! Boring boring boring! These deaths were nothing but your freaky imagination taking the better of you!

_Yeah! That mUst be it! It muSt bE! HahA! Of CoUrse! TheRe was No wAy peoPle couLd juSt DiE Like tHAt, rIghT? HahAHa..._

_It hurts... It hurts..._

_NoThinG HerE rEalLy ExIstS! AhaHA! NoTHing buT a DreAm!_

_STop! SToP It!_

_ThEre iS NO wAng yAo! tHEre iS no NOthinG!_

Your insides writhed together in unimaginable shapes as if playing a Twister game. What was real? What wasn't? Could it all really be just a dream? Maybe you hit your head and blacked out on the way home! This was your horrid imagination under the influence of too many horror films! Yeah!

_Yeah._

_That must be it._

_That mUst be it._

_ThAt muSt bE It..._

_WhY WoULd iT BE anyThiNg ElSe...?_

SMASH!

Not watching where you were turning, you collided face-first into an obstacle. The wind was knocked right out of you as you toppled to the floor on the rebound. Moss cushioned your fall, but its spongy support felt gross to your backside and squished in between your fingers as you slowly eased yourself up.

"VERDAMMT! Es schmerzt!"

You froze, spinning your head around to come into contact with red eyes.

BLOOD RED eyes.

Just like the large male who was fighting with Yao.

Words escaped your lips as you gasped and fell back in fear. A cocky grin spread across this newcomer's face as he noticed your presence.

"Kesese... Was ist das? Ein Mädchen?"

You edged away from the male as your fingers unconsciously trailed to the weapon concealed underneath your shirt. You couldn't see that well, but you could make out the silver hair and maize blob perched on his head. His outfit was too dark to determine any specific colour, but something seemed to be shimmering just underneath his neck. A cross...?

Hand under your blouse, you felt the piercing metal yell out to you as he got up and paced towards you.

_Kill them all..._

"DON'T MOVE!" Startled by your own sudden action, that gun made its appearance once again. It was so easy to draw, you realized fearfully, and obeyed faithfully as you aimed at his most vital region. Your palms started to water as you thought of shooting. Your heart pulsed thinking of the BANG this device would emanate. Your hands quivered and forefinger resisted at the notion of firing.

_Kill thEm alL..._

The being's crimson eyes widened for a moment as the nozzle was pointed at him, but didn't seem too surprised by the gesture. "Oh? English? Well, alright."

He seemed to scan your stance, and that smug smirk returned to his cheeks. A low chuckle resounded from his mouth as he placed his hands to his hips. "I doubt you have the guts to do it, kid. You don't look like a murderer. Tell you what; I'll forget I saw you, and you'll forget you saw me, and we can just ignore what happened here and go our separate ways."

Some of them might try and play with your mind first.

_There'S nO way This is aCtuallY HappEning! AlL a drEam! It'S all A biG, tOrtuRoUs DreAm! THis MaN isN't rEal! AnD eVen if hE waS, hE's One oF THEM! AhA! TheY neEd to dIe! THey aLl nEed To dIE!_

_TheN i CaN go hOme, rIghT...?_

_KiLl ThEm AlL..._

A shot resounded as your finger clenched.

"Scheisse!" The enemy cursed as he hunched over in pain. Without a moment to spare, you jumped to your numb feet and bolted through the wood as fast as your legs could carry you.

"Get back here!"

Pushing passed the extending branches, you rushed only forward. Into the darkness of the ferns and mud and leaves which twisted into your clothing. You could hear the rustling almost directly behind you, and your chest surged in agitation. Faster. Your legs burned as you ran on; as you ran faster and farther away. A stray root caught your foot and you slammed into the dirt, but you wouldn't give up here. You couldn't. Scrambling up, you heard those footsteps and ducked under a low canopy as you forced yourself onwards.

Faster. Keep going. Laboured breaths heaved from your throat as it seared for water. The many obstacles scratched at your skin, leaving painful marks throbbing over your body. Faster. Faster! He's catching up! One persistent twig clutched onto your ankle and tore flesh as you pried it free. A yowl of pain burst from your lips, and tears of discomfort streamed onto fragile cheeks. You tried running. You couldn't. The injury screamed at you. You kept limping desperately.

_IT HURTS! IT HURTS! STOP! AAAHH! PLEASE!_

Your limbs seared. Why wouldn't they stop? You tumbled onwards, not even capable of running in your futile plea for escape. You groaned in strain at every movement. Every jolt. Every extend of your fingers. You muscles urged you to stop. YOU urged yourself to stop. You couldn't. Life. That's all you were fighting for: life.

It was sudden when you came face-to-face with a wall.

A rock wall. A cliff.

_Keep going! Run! RUN!_

Your body gave out as if it was a dead end, slamming against the rough side of the gravel and falling to the grass below. Your eyesight watered with the stress, and your head felt fuzzy with emotional turmoil. Pounding with adrenaline, everything yelled at your danger. You wouldn't get up. You couldn't. Nothing would obey your command.

_Get up! Get UP! He's going to KILL you! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!_

Gasping with intense pain, you flung your limp arms to the rocks and attempted to hoist yourself up. Your legs refused to obey, and down you went again. Like excess weight, they slumped in the blades which tickled at your wounds.

_NO! NO! KEEP GOING! I WANT TO LIVE! I WANT TO LIVE!_

You couldn't.

It was too painful.

Bursting into tears at your surrender, you buried your face into the side of the cliff, feeling its craggy surface on your forehead. Your knuckles turned pale as you clutched onto the stones, possibly hoping that your grip might keep you there if something were to try and remove you. You wished it could hide you; that you could become invisible in its tawny side. Misery clawed at your side.

It was useless.

You clamped your eyes shut, waiting. Waiting for anything. Waiting for everything. Listening to the whistling of faraway winds and pounding in your chest, you gasped deep breaths in preparation for what may come.

Nothing happened.

You peered upwards as tears dripped down your neck. The deep darkness of the forest surrounded you, with thick oak trunks and tall ferns swirling silently to the gentle wind. The moss was heavily coated on the rocks nearby, and the floor of the canopy looked as if it had been rained on for weeks. Your eyes darted from one corner to the other, with each view looking symmetrical to its counterpart.

However, you saw no movement anywhere.

You HEARD no movement anywhere.

No voices? No yelling? No signals of life at all? Your ankle throbbed. Your heart trembled. You refused to believe there was nothing there, with your gaze flying to each and every spot in the woodland. Nothing moved.

Nothing at all.

_Oh, Good God..._

Your palms covered your mouth in horror as that sickening flood of guilt crashed into your body. Everything was quivering, and not from the cold.

_I killed him._

Something snapped then. You weren't sure exactly what it was, but something either snapped off or snapped into place. You buried your face in your hands, gasping and trying to hold your composure in vain. Your breaths came out as jittery spasms while the world started to warp colours once again.

_No! I couldn't have killed him! It was only one shot! Just one! I'm not the tyPe to become a murderer! I coUldn't possibly! It's noT in my nAture! I coUldn'T have DonE it! No WaY! NOt a reGuLaR pErSOn lIke Me!_

Whimpering loudly in the silence, you held your head in-between your knees. Perhaps this will stop the world from spinning. Perhaps this will fix this disoriented Earth. You were gasping heavy mouthfuls of sickening air between asphyxiated coughs, as if you were being choked from the inside out. Questions and claims shot like arrows at every angle.

_HahA! I kIllEd HIm! How AbsURd!_

_Go hOme! RUn! TheY'rE sTilL ouT tO GeT yOu!_

_NonE Of ThIs ACtuaLy eXSiSts, rIghT?_

_You'Re So StUpiD! THis is AlL A drEaM! You sAId iT beFoRe, DiDN't yOu?_

_WhY dIDn'T yoU jUSt StAy wiTh YaO?_

_THeRE Is NO MoRE YAo!_

_Why DiD YOu hAve tO shOoT hiM?_

_WhAT if He wAsn'T oNe oF ThEM?_

_YoU'Re CRazY!_

_I'm cRazY...?_

_WhAt dOEs tHis MeaN?_

_Why Is tHis haPpeNinG?!_

_WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!_

Something jabbed into your skull.

You screamed and flailed your arms around in a reflex response. It came again; that feeling of a needle striking in your shoulder. You tried to shoo or block the item attacking you, but no improvement was made to the situation. It continued to attack any part of the body it could find, and you yelled louder as hair was tugged and sensitive stomach was stabbed at. Eventually you swatted what felt like a fuzzy balloon, which was flung into a bush to your side.

You didn't waste an instant. You scrambled up, only to realize your forgotten injury and go stumbling back down. A hushed cuss escaped from your lips as you struggled to hurry onwards regardless of your throbbing limbs, but reality kicked you in the spine and sent you crashing into a thorny bush. Sharp spikes poked at your skin and clothes as the object which attacked you went back on the offensive, chirping angrily at you.

Blood. You could feel it on your skin. Or was that mud? It hurt. Little pricks buzzed on your legs as you pursued a standing position. The enemy was persistent though, forcing you to cower while protecting your head with your arms. You needed to run. However, you couldn't without a stable support for your injured leg; and with your hands busy with flapping in an attempt to keep the object harming you away, there was no hope to latch onto a branch to pull yourself up.

Then you hit the assailant, once again tossing it aside. It took only a second for it to return, but that second was enough time to hoist yourself up from your vulnerable position and dash onwards. As it attacked, you tried to counter. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you missed; trashing at the surrounding wood as twigs placed cuts on your delicate fingers. The object, a bird you assumed, as nothing else you knew of could fly and peck at you with such precision, aimed for areas other than your head. Your waist. Your legs. Your shoulders and neck. These strikes sent you falling once again, but this time tumbling down a hill.

Humid scraps of decaying wildlife attached to your sides as you rolled downwards, somersaulting over rough patches of gravel and mushy lichens. Suddenly, the side of your waist crashed full-steam into a firm trunk. You yelped in pain, groaning as you curled up and clutched your bruise, attempting desperately to return to that serene frame of mind where this pain would not exist.

_I haVe to keep mOving..._

Your vision swayed as you clutched onto a stable root and prevented the floor from becoming the ceiling. You watched woozily as the stems and branches twisted and circled as if in an exotic dance. You felt as if your stomach couldn't handle the disorientation, but there was nothing left in it to get rid of.

You shook your head in an effort to return to reality, but this abrupt movement only reinforced your dizziness. Gasping in thick fumes of who-knows-what, you endeavoured to steady the Earth.

_WheRe is it?_

Your wide eyes darted from one dark trunk to another, to behind you, to straight above you. Your ears were ringing, unable to even hope of determining a sound in the surroundings. Pants heaved from your quivering mouth, and you grabbed onto the jagged bark in a plea to protect you from the oncoming danger. Your palms felt as if they were bleeding from the tightness of your grip.

Nothing came.

_WheRe. iS. It?!_

You swallowed heavily as a sudden wind caused you to jump in fright. The branches tapped against each other as if applauding, and the ripples of breeze caressed your aching skin. Sympathizing with you. This forest was cheering for you. Cheering for your murder. Cheering for your escape from the hands of a BIRD!

You forced yourself up.

_I haVe to geT out of heRe..._

Only able to move via support, you clutched onto the the passing trees as you hopped along your own purposeless trail. Your ankle wailed as the flesh wound came into contact with passing logs and mossy obstacles. There was some kind of fluid oozing on it. Blood, you assumed, and knew you would regret examining it later. How deep could it be? The possibilities were endless.

After clumsily bumping into it, you cautiously staggered over a bulky log which blocked your path. It was so dark. Was it getting foggy? At least you could still see your (shoe colour) shoes squishing on the marshy floor. You wondered if you should try to find the town again, as you worried about what lie at the end of this wood. What if it ended in another cliff? What if you were boxed in?

No. Of course not. That's wouldn't happen. There was a way out. If there was a way in, there was a way out.

You peered to the sky. You could hardly see the night under the canopy of branches which pattered above and the fog which was suddenly condensing. Where WERE you walking towards? You had to squint your eyes and focus ahead.

Was that water? Maybe there was a spring in this woodland. It would be nice to get a drink of water; to let the fluid flow down your throat and moisten your drying tongue. You had to blame the salty air for that one. Why was the fog so thick? Why was it getting harder to move? You felt as if you were waddling through quicksand. You looked to your feet.

You realized you were knee-deep in a ocean.

"H-Huh?" Confused and astonished, you peered down at the ebony waters crashing under you. You tumbled back, but kept your balance unevenly on the pebbles below, fearing for your safety if you fell back. The waves taunted at your bad ankle, and you wadded out before anything could push you down.

You didn't expect THAT.

You turned back to the water. How did you not notice you were walking into an OCEAN? Were your legs that numb? God, how the salt picked at your wounds. You scratched an exceedingly agitated one on your elbow as you spun around and examined the forest behind you.

It was a deep forest.

How deep, you wonder.

You gradually eased yourself down, making sure your ankle would not be irritated even if it cried at every minuscule activity. Moist moss became your cushion, and a stray rock your headrest. It was uncomfortable, yes, but it would have to do for now. Your back felt rigid along the unyielding surface, and you shuffled to a favourable spot, nestling into the craggy side. It really did smell like the ocean, you realized while watching the waves crash in the horizon. Fog danced in the air, which made your skin tingle as droplets of water collected on your skin.

You took a heavy sigh and peered to your ankle.

_Shit..._

It was pierced right open. Flesh peeled from the backside as dark fluid decorated your lower leg. You couldn't see it well, but you could see the reflective glisten of the wound surrounded by a buildup of waste. Stray strands of grass and lumps of crusting muck poked out of the wound, and when you tried to brush them off, your ankle seared with sensibility. The aroma of muddy blood was repulsing, and you hiccuped in pain as you realized just how much all that running had harmed you; mentally and physically. You prodded at it tearfully. It didn't get better.

You should probably stop playing with it.

_It hurts..._

You looked to your side, examining the thin beach of thick pebbles and ferns which grew close to the ocean's embrace. Was this really an ocean? It seemed to go on forever.

Maybe you were on an island.

SURROUNDED by ocean.

No. You shook your head at the thought. There was a way out. There WAS. There HAD to be.

Adrenaline can take a toll, especially since you were tired to begin with even BEFORE meeting that man, Yao. You were well overdue for sleep. Every blink made your brain pang and your heavy head sag a bit further, declining under gravity's command. You watched the gentle waves sway along the pebbles with drooping eyelids. In and out. In and out. Your mind wavered in and out of consciousness as you rested your head on the stiff surface and looked up to the forever-extending charcoal sky...

A snap.

_What was that?_

Your eyes shot open, and your fingers were trailing along the sleek surface of metal before you even realized it.

_Good God. It's one of THEM. Another onE! It's gOing to kiLl me! Kill mE lIke thE otherS wOuld!_

You scanned the forest with wide, cautious eyes, even with your skull throbbing at the mixed desires for life and sleep. It was affecting you. But was it? You wanted life. LIFE. Your only life. Sleep could wait. It would have to.

_Rustling now..._

_There._

A bush moved with a shake no mere wind could accomplish. A thick tree stood beside it, which you assumed the enemy's hiding spot was. You brought out your weapon and aimed. It knew you were here, it knew what you looked like; but you knew IT was here, you knew roughly where IT was. Your hands shook as you held the device.

"C-Come out!"

You didn't mean for your voice to waver. You couldn't help it. You stared at the spot vigilantly. Every leaflet. Every line on every trunk. You practically dared life to move, but the wind quieted down like an audience waiting for the climax with anticipation. Everything stopped. Only the lonely croaking of toads and a song of a foolish bird came from around the scene.

"I... I SAID... Come out!" This time you tried to sound demanding. Your heart twitched in pain from all the pounding, and even the rest of your body was feeling an overwhelming side-effect from all the energy needed to be alert. You couldn't hold back now. What if it was those three whom Yao fought against? What if it was the bird again? What if it was that red-eyed guy? You trembled thinking of the amount of enemies you could face.

The forest was still. However, you focused your buzzing ears, and actually found the petite breaths of another being. An eerie chanting echoed in your mind.

_It's one of them. One of THEM. OnE of THEM. ONe oF THeM. ONe Of ThEM..._

"COME OUT!"

Tentatively, out from behind the tree trunk, peeked the face of a young girl with a ribbon in her hair.

* * *

**Guess who~! ;D**

**VERDAMMT! Es schmerzt! = Damn! It hurts! (I was trying to say "THAT hurt!" but... Um... Is this close enough, or did I butcher the language again...? -_-")**

**Was ist das? Ein Mädchen? = What is this? A girl? (German)**

**Take a wild guess at what "Scheisse" means. ^^**

**Also... There were a lot of things I couldn't describe in this chapter... Mostly because a lot of excess information I WOULD have added is personal preference. Things like your clothing, or the amount of change in time zone if it was "9:35 in Volgograd, Russia"... That scene where you remember "HOME"... Now, home is different for everybody. I hope I made it broad enough to include ALL of the audience, yet specific enough to make the reader feel "at home". Did I succeed? Fail? Is there something I should change at all? I'm always looking for opinions!**

**DISCLAIMERS~! I totally enjoy doing these for EVERY. SINGLE. CHAPTER. -_- I don't own Hetalia! Or Volgograd, Russia! Or where you live! Or... Well, actually, I do own an iPod. An iPod Touch actually. It's got a BIIIG crack through the middle of it because I dropped it. XD. I don't own Apple though; well, I had an apple for lunch... REGARDLESS, I own nothing. Not even you. Unless you want me to. :3**

**Another chapter bites the dust~ WOO! *is shot***


	4. Chapter 4

**I'M NOT DEA- *is bricked* Okay. Scratch that. I'm dead again. *dies***

**Twenty... seven... reviews...? What... I don't... That's, like... ... I have to sit down... *faints* But 27 reviews is SO FREAKIN MUCH! Oh my... I... Wow, gosh... I don't know what to say... Seriously, I don't know what to say. That's just so much and I... I don't even know if I deserve all these reviews! D: I mean, 20 is A LOT, man! That's, like, more than 10! And 10 is double digits! Which means it's more than single digits! *flails insanely and falls off a cliff* Man... Oh, gosh... Okay... I have to calm down now...**

**You guys are so awesome... :,D I mean... Reviews make me feel so special... And... I don't know... The fact that people are just READING this story gives me goosebumps... I... I never used to show my writing to anybody, and now there are people who RESPOND to my stories? That's just... amazing... I'm... really, really happy... ^^ You guys have no idea... I... I just... Thank you so much... I mean it from the bottom of my heart... Thank you...**

**Ah... I guess I should stop ranting about that and give you the warning, eh?**

**WARNING: EXCRETION SCENE. You guys remember in the first chapter, when I said it was rated "M" for mature content? No? Well, to me, "mature content" means things that you can do to make the story more realistic, but it's also stuff that you can't go over with IMmature people... See, immature people will be grossed out if I say: "someone goes to the washroom" here. But to me, to make this story more realistic, it NEEDS to be here. It's a bodily function! And think about it, we ALL do it. We all NEED to do it! So what's wrong with it? (And seriously, I just MENTION it. I don't go into detail. *looks sideways* I mean, there IS such thing as "too much information"... -_-) So yeah. I say "someone goes to the washroom" in this fic. Sorry if it offends OR grosses out any of you... XDD**

**FOR THE STAR (*): I cannot determine your age. I cannot determine Lilli's age. I assume Lilli is, like, 14, but since she doesn't have a canon age, I can't say for sure. PLUS. Since probably a bunch of people with different age groups will read this, I think I'll just let you perceive Lilli as the age you normally would. If she's younger than you, then she looks younger than you. If she looks older, then she's older. Just have fun with it! XDD**

* * *

A girl.

A girl.

Staring with the worry that bled inside your heart. Wearing a shredded dress obviously not made for hiding in. The innocence of the tattered indigo bow in her hair. A girl. A girl about your age. A girl. Pressing her palms to the bark of that tree. Fear. She was shivering. You felt her timidness. You recognized the pain of doubt. It was just a girl. A girl. A little girl.

Just about your age*.

But she was one of them.

One of THEM.

_One of them. One of THEM. oNe of Them. OnE oF thEm! ONe Of tHEm!_

"Who-Who ARE you?!" You wailed more desperately than you hoped, the weapon still shuddering in your grip as the aim focused on its own. Cold sweat poured on your forehead, but you kept your eyes on the girl with the bow. "Tell me!"

She didn't answer, just stared at you with that look.

"ANSWER ME...!" You squeaked, index finger sliding along the smooth metal of the trigger.

It was completely silent for a moment. Nothing moved. Not her. Not you. Not even your heart, which only quivered in the stillness. There were no sounds from the wind or the trees, and not a squeak from the faraway war veterans. Finally, the girl let out a sigh and looked to the ground. You barely heard her quiet reply. "My name is Lilli."

You pursed your lips, replying harshly, "Lilli who?"

"Lilli Zwingli."

An odd name, you noted. Not probably something you would remember for the future. But what if you HAD to remember this name? She told you a name. She didn't seem to be lying. What if this name was a clue? No. Wait. It was only a name. What were you supposed to remember again?

_One of them. Kill them all. No. I don't waNt to kill anyone. Do I Have tO? Is thIs person sAfe? No. KilL tHem aLl. YoU neeD To LiVe. But I dOn't wAnt To muRder. KiLl. SHe's JuSt a gIrl! ThEm. I dOn't WAnt tO! AlL. SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!_

"You... You aren't one of them." The girl determined in a quiet voice, snapping you out of your trance. Her voice was soft, with an accent you couldn't determine.

"Who... Who are THEY...?" You coughed, trying to stop your voice from vibrating. You felt overheated and heavy. Why did this gun suddenly weight so much? The growth of sin upon sin glued itself to your fingers, and seemed to drag you down to hell, to where gravity was bringing you all along.

She took a deep breath before answering with the same quivering voice, as if it was an echo to yours, "I... I don't know."

"Liar." You choked. She glanced up at you with a heartbroken expression. "Who are they? Where am I?"

She tightened her lips and gazed downwards. Nothing but the panting of two young people interrupted the dead air. The small blond seemed to take a few deep breaths. One. Two. Then she slowly looked up, and stared directly into your eyes. Sudden seriousness was in place of her first fearful expression. Her teal orbs pierced right into yours. "I. Don't. Know."

You shook you head, each of those words like a hammer to your skull, "You must know...! You must!"

"No." She shook her head, and your heart seemed to unconsciously hold its breath. "No, I don't know anything."

A knife. Through your body. Suddenly the fatigue and the weakness of you limps screamed at you. A bloody murder scream, as if you were about to die right then and there. But you didn't. Pain tugged and jerked at parts of your body. They were shrieking and whirling as the world went blurry and spun around and around. Torture. But you were still alive. It was all in your head. Or was it? What was pulling you down? Everything? Nothing? This little girl. Would it be hard to believe that she would have some power to make you feel this way, just out of her whim? No. It was the pain. The pain of tiredness. The pain of going too fast too hard, and in the end, getting nowhere.

And that realization did it. You were nowhere. Back to the beginning. It was hopeless. You ran a finger through your hair and tried to hold your together.

"I'm sorry..."

She took two tentative steps towards you. You dizzily stiffened your grip on the weapon in your hands and glared, daring her to come closer. She didn't flinch, and took one more step, crunching small sticks in her path.

"You wouldn't shoot me."

"Why do you think that?"

"I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to murder anyone." Another step. You heard a noise at the back of your throat, but you weren't sure whether it was out of panic or anger. "You don't have a purpose, only a weapon. Like a dog who's lost its way and forgot how to trust, growling threats at everything it sees. I've seen it over and over. You won't kill me."

Another step.

"I shot someone else."

"Maybe by accident." She was getting too close. You felt the need to edge backwards slightly. Too close! Too close! But she kept taking small step after small step, pupils resonating fearlessness of the loaded gun in your grip.

_Go AwAy! YoU're too cloSe! Too closE!_

"Some people in war, once they shoot the first person, they immediately believe they're tainted. They probably do it out of fear in the first place." Three more steps. Three. She was only a few steps away now. A few more steps and she would be right in front of you. It terrified you. Her monotone voice terrified you. This girl terrified you. "They get scared. They shoot. They don't know why they did, they had no reason to, but they did. And then that gives them excuse to do it again. 'If I'm already a murderer, why stop now?' Those are the thoughts that escalate in war. But they truthfully don't want to shoot."

Now the barrel was directly at her stomach. The two of you maintained eye contact throughout her entire speech. Slowly, she lifted one hand and placed it on the top of the gun, her skinny fingers touching your skin. "And you don't want to be like that either. You were scared. You still are. It's okay. You've probably had a long experience. It's okay. Don't be scared. Clear your mind. It's okay..."

You were shaking. Heaving breathlessly in awe of this girl. This little girl who walked up to you. This little girl who spoke to you. This one little girl. She stared straight into your soul. She stared straight into your heart. She spoke. With that shredded dress obviously not made for hiding in, and the tattered indigo bow in her hair. In the face of death, she SPOKE TO YOU. YOU.

Her teal eyes softened just a bit, and a weak smile crossed her muddy face. "It's okay... It's not your fault..."

Those words were all it took.

And that was twice now.

Twice where you held onto another and cried into their chest.

The weapon barely made a sound as it was tossed to the forest floor. You clutched onto this girl as if your life depended on it, wheezing and sobbing and trying to pull yourself together. But you couldn't. It was just too much. Everything was too much. Them, you, her, Yao, EVERYTHING. Her wooly fabric pressed itself against your nose as you buried your drenched face against her. This little girl. She was terrifying. But you wanted to hold onto her. You wanted her to protect you. You wanted SOMEONE to protect you. Anyone. Anyone who would hear your sad cry. And her. She unraveled you. Just like that, she unraveled you.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered again, but this time you couldn't even think up a reply. You couldn't think anything. Not then. Not when your ankle was screaming and your mind was swimming in tar and your limps were shutting down on their own. She didn't fight you though. She didn't say anything else. She just placed a hand on your scalp and started stroking your hair, weaving her fingers through the muddy locks and untangling the knots of grime that clamped on.

Everything came crashing down. It was like with Yao. Gosh, Yao... Why'd you have to run away from him? Why'd you have to betray him? Leave him to fend for himself? Why were THEY attacking him? Who WERE 'they' anyways?! Why did they seem like such MONSTERS? Like something from a horror movie? Like something that would eat you alive? It was so scary. So scary. Why? Just, WHY?

_I don't want to be here! I just don't want to be here!_

You've said that over and over already. But it was true. Every time you opened your eyes, you prayed that you would jolt awake from a horrible dream. You never did, and that made you bawl harder into this girl's chest. You couldn't tell whether she was watching you or not. You never looked up to her, because you knew it would be too much for you to handle. It was ALL too much to handle.

And, oh... God, you SHOT SOMEONE. You fired that gun. Out of your own will. You TOOK AWAY SOMEONE'S LIFE. And you were about to kill this girl too? What HAPPENED to you? You wouldn't kill! You wouldn't succumb to that! Not you, of all people! Killing was something horrid and gross!

Good god, what was happening to you?

_I'm becoming one of them._

No. NO! You would refuse it! Refuse it! Get that thought out of your head! You would NOT join these people in their war! There was another way! You wanted to get out, ONLY get out! You weren't here to war. You weren't even supposed to be here! You were supposed to be HOME. You were supposed to be SAFE. Not here. No. Never. Not here. Not at war. Not with a gun. No. Not... THIS.

_I don't want this! I DON'T WANT THIS!_

Your mind howled at your thoughts to purify themselves, but your body only broke itself down. As if shutting down like a machine, you felt your own life draining from your tears. The adrenaline was wearing off. Eventually the screeching in your mind began to die down to a yell. Then to a desperate cry. Then to a heartbroken whisper. Then nothing. And as soon as your thoughts died down to nothing, you realized how quiet it was, other than your distressed blubbering.

Where was all the sound? No, you could hear a voice. A tiny voice in the back of your head, as if it had been pounded so hard into your brain, that you were forced to remember it.

_Kill them all._

Those words made your stomach churn.

"Miss..." The girl spoke worriedly, but didn't stop cradling you in that motherly way. "I don't want to rush you, I know a lot has happened, but first... we should move to a safer place..."

You failed in restraining a small hiccup of tears and gasped a couple of heavy breaths before squeaking, "Y-You're right. I... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, just..." She took ahold of your waist and you let her hoist you up into a standing position. You felt like a doll, being propped up life this. Lifeless. Useless. Once again, you were left in that aftermath of grief. No, this wasn't grief. This was worse than grief. You felt empty. Inanimate. You felt as if all the colours of your emotions washed away with your fear and your pain. Now you were white. Colourless.

As you tried to put the weight of your exhausted body onto your legs, your injury yelped in pain and you topped into the mud, scratching your face on something jammed in the ground. The girl was by your side in an instant, taking ahold of you once again and whispering quick apologies as she pulled you up. You hadn't even realized to the full extent what had happened until she hauled you up once again and directed your arm around her neck. You willingly obeyed and held on tight. She took a step, and you lifted your wounded foot before awkwardly hopping next to her. She stabled your irregular movements as you tried not to collapse on your healthy leg, which was still falling asleep in the fatigue.

The girl guided you along the murky waterline and passed the dark poles which jutted up between your path. It was difficult to go around them, as turning was difficult for you to do when limping. You often bumped your foot in the process, which made your extinct body do nothing but cringe and whimper slightly. The blond would tug you away from the source of pain and continue along silently.

You followed her without complaint. Her. The strange girl who you only just met, and yet, she was guiding you to some sort of safety. In any other event, you would question it. But this girl... she just seemed like something sane. Something that you could hold onto in this weird and unnerving place. She helped you up. She stopped your psychotic thoughts. She spoke to you.

Like Yao, who risked his life for you.

Your heart was already too low to drop down any more.

Eventually the two of you were on craggy ground, walking on a small slope upwards. The ocean underneath slammed against the sides of the cliff, and you tried not to think of how close you were to the edge. Sure, it wasn't a far way down. But in this situation? Who knows WHAT could be in that water. You were almost sure something was going to pop up from it and attack the both of you.

Your ankle scraped along only a couple obstacles, but nothing so severe that would made you cry out. She tugged you up the rugged hill, where the two of you eventually got to an uneven stone wall. The blond escorted you to the side of it and motioned you to keep following her. She paced along the wall which ran along to the edge of the cliff, where a small walkway was available. You followed her, keeping close to the safer side, while still trying to support your wound. It was difficult without her; however, the passage was small enough that two people walking side-by-side would NOT be a good idea. Especially if one was injured. Plus, the walkway still projected upwards. You weren't sure how high up you were, refusing to look down, but you could tell by the quietness of water slamming against the side that you were pretty high up.

Then the girl stopped. You were farther behind her, but you limped to her side and watched as she slowly, without making a single sound, reached under her dress and seemed to pull out a gun from her leg. A click, and she peeked around the corner into some kind of opening in the cliff. After a short moment, she slipped around it. You followed, and realized that there was a small cave there. It was nothing like a cavern or anything. Quite literally, it looked like a puncture in the cliff's surface. But it had enough room to seat you both.

And that's just what you did. You watched her slide into a sitting position and you tumbled beside her, practically throwing yourself onto the rigid ground. You erected yourself and slumped onto one of the sides, still not putting any unnecessary weight on your foot.

Then there was quiet. You thought she would say something, but she didn't. You didn't either. You really just wanted to sleep at the moment. You wanted to get away from this dark place and just close your eyes. Surrender to the darkness. It didn't matter anymore. You just needed that thoughtless tranquility of sleep. The deep grey clouds rolled overhead, and the rushing of waves droned in and out... in and out... in and...

Her voice smoothly seemed to wake you up. "Miss, are you sure you're okay?"

You didn't really want to answer her. It sounded mean, but you didn't. Your throat was dry, mixed with the salty sea air and recoil of your activity. You didn't want to speak. However, after a long and awkward pause, you felt as if you had no choice. "I think so."

Your voice was choppy and deep, almost like a croak from a frog.

"How long have you been here?"

Her voice seemed dry too, but also more gentle. She shuffled closer to the rocks and hugged her knees while looking out to the ocean.

You shook your head, not even glancing at her, "I don't know."

"Minutes? Hours? Days?"

You were silent for a moment, but then you slowly, expressionlessly, turned your head to her. Her face was solemn and hopeless, as she stared out at the ocean. Her voice cracked as she asked, "Have you been here since the beginning?"

"When was the beginning?"

Then a gunshot echoed from afar. The two of you flinched in unison.

After a moment of realization that the noise came from beyond, the girl sighed, "I wish that noise would stop..."

You didn't know what to say to that, so you didn't say anything. You meant to nod, but it was probably such a small movement that she didn't notice.

After another pause, the girl went back to her original conversation, "The beginning... Logically? I'd guess about a week. It feels like months, but situations like this often do. When I think about it, I've barely had any sleep. I'd guess at least, AT LEAST, six days have gone by since that moment..."

"What moment?"

A sad smile crossed her face as she stared at the ground. After a moment, she looked to you delicately. "What's your name?"

"My name?" A tiny nod, "(Name) (Last name)."

"That's a nice name."

"Thank you."

She stared at you for a moment, that broken smile never fading. "What nationality are you?"

There was that question again.

"(Your nationality)." You whispered, turning away.

"I see." She nodded curtly, looking to the water.

"What do-?"

"Can I-?"

The two of you had spoken at the exact same time. A soft giggle came from her and you blushed slightly.

"S-Sorry, you go first."

She sweetly smiled at you, but you could still feel that pain behind her mask. It was like trying to hide a scar with a band-aid. "I... Well, can I ask you...?" She looked to the ground and fiddled with her fingers, "I mean, we just met, and this isn't really something to ask someone, but... I REALLY need to use the washroom. D-Do you mind if I just turn the corner there and-?"

You shook your head, "I don't mind."

"A-And can you just keep half an ear open so I don't fall off the edge or suddenly get ambushed or taken away? I-It may sound like I'm being paranoid, but..."

"That's fine. I understand."

She placidly bowed her head in thanks to you, and stood up and scurried away, around the corner. You peered out to the water, not wanting to invade her privacy. However, she told you to keep a half-ear on her, so you DID listen, but tried not to on specific points; like when the sound of water falling appeared. You didn't hear her scream though, or any other footsteps, so you assumed everything was okay as she did her business.

You realized you didn't know whether you needed to 'go' or not. Perhaps nature had already called. Fear already took its toll on you in that way, and you didn't even notice. Your pants were wet, but you DID take a dip in the ocean without realizing it as well. You weren't sure.

After a speechless moment, the girl scampered back around and seated herself in the same spot. She made sure to lock eyes with you and smiled shyly. "Thank you. I haven't felt safe enough to do that in a long time."

"Don't worry about it." You responded, looking back out to sea. "What was your name again?"

"Lilli. Lilli Zwingli."

"Okay."

You didn't mean to seem as distant as you had with the one-word answer. But after you said it, you realized that another awkward silence was sure to follow. Oh well, too late to take it back now. You looked to the stormy sky.

She turned to you. "You seem tired."

You FELT tired. However, you shook your head of the thought, trying to remind yourself of the situation. It didn't work. You mind was lagging and your body felt heavy. Overall, with the pain and the horror mixed with the unknown and the questions tied together with sleepiness and depression, you realized it all added up to nothing in your mind. Horrible blankness in your head.

"I can't feel anything." You admitted truthfully.

"You should sleep. You'd be more energetic later on, if something important happens."

Was she telling you or giving you a choice? You couldn't tell from the monotone in her voice. "W-Would it be okay?"

"It would be good for you. Have you slept anytime soon?"

"No."

"Then you have to sleep." She moved closer to you, trying to look you in the eyes. However, you didn't want to stare at her eyes. They scared you too much. They were serious and stale, compared to her innocent frame. "Sleep keeps you sane. Especially in this sort of situation."

"What about you?"

"I didn't nearly murder someone in stress."

Your heart should have lurched at that mention. It didn't. It had already sunk down through the quicksands of depression. You should feel guilty and afraid, but you didn't.

And you knew this lifeless feeling was dangerous.

Especially here.

You shuffled closer beside her, and silently tilted your head onto her shoulder. However, resting on a shoulder is awkward. Particularly hers. Her body was so small, so bony, so fragile, but covered in that dress. As you tried to get comfortable in a resting position, you realized how heedlessly that dress fit on her. You realized how absolutely skinny she was, and realized how young she was. Almost anorexic-looking. But you knew she probably didn't always look like that.

She really did look like she had been through hell and back.

Regardless, even in these horrid thoughts and horrid conditions, with the foul air and the salty texture on your lips, your body took the chance it was given to shut down completely.

You didn't even remember closing your eyes.

Nonetheless, you did remember the first sensation waking up.

_God... My foot hurts..._

You opened your groggy eyes to the sounds of an ocean and a grey sky. Why was it so dark? Your fingers felt dry as they swung lazily across the craggy ground and to your head, which was pounding. What was constricting your chest? It was so hard to breathe because you felt like a snake around your middle was slowly tightening a death grip. Wind was on your arm, which confused you. You peered right and left, and then connected your stare with a girl.

_Lilli._

Your eyes slowly adjusted, and you then recognized where you were. Your memory was blurry, but you remembered Lilli and you remembered trekking up the mountain. Why was your mind yelling at you?

"That scream must have woken you up." Her depressed voice whispered into your mind. "It was pretty close..."

"S-Scream?" Still half-asleep, the word 'scream' together with the memories you hadn't translated didn't click yet.

"And a couple gunshots."

_Gun._

_Shots._

_Oh, god..._

Now you recalled the object tied around your body, and the reason why your ankle seared, and why your pants were damp, and who you were running from.

_Them._

Your heart clenched as you identified the conversations and confusions, the faces and the eyes. Red eyes. Sounds of guns. That skull crushing. Those crazed looks on those faces...

_Them._

"It was CLOSE?!" You nearly shrieked, one foot already on the ground as if to sprint if needed.

"Calm down, (Name)." She whispered, putting a hand on your shoulder. "Not close enough that we need to worry."

You gasped from the mild heart attack, but still glanced around your surroundings just to confirm. Running a hand through your hair, you felt the cold sweat and dirt clutch onto your fingers. In disgust, you wiped the grime onto your damp pants. You felt gross. You probably smelt horrible, with armpits that felt slightly wet and your hair tangled into a mess above your head. And your clothes... Well, they weren't in horrible condition, not like the dress of the girl beside you, but they were ripped in certain spots and the bottom of your shirt had started to fray.

"Your ankle looks dislocated."

You looked at her worried, but still tense, gaze. Then you turned to your ankle. All you could see from it was fluid seeping out, and that disgusted you, so you tried not to look directly at it. You tilted it slightly, and winced at the intense pain shooting up through your leg. "M-Maybe... I'm not too sure WHAT'S wrong with it..."

"I was looking at it while you were asleep," She noted, turning her eyes to it too, "but I was afraid to wake you up if I actually touched it..."

The two of you made eye contact and she pointed to it. "May I?"

"Go ahead." You found no reason to prevent her.

She slid over to your front and quietly lifted your leg. Your shoe was in tatters, and you were surprised that it hadn't fallen off yet, but she removed it and your sock which blocked the view of the rest of your foot. You couldn't look at it. She ran her fingers down the lower part of your calf to your heel, where your muscles clenched at the simple touch. She supported the heel and used her other hand to gently touch the gash. The pain made you tear up. "I have to warn you though, there's not too much light. I may not be able to do much."

Light.

Your mind seemed to snap on at that word. Instantly you dug into your pocket for your iPod. You flashed it on, but the sudden brightness blinded you for a moment. You turned the shine away, and slowly manoeuvred the device so it was hovering over your wound. However, you were forced to look away at the first sight of deep crimson. The memories of seeing that cut still nauseated you.

Lilli thanked you and trailed her fingers along the gash. You whimpered slightly, but bit your bottom lip to prevent yelling out. She squeezed the heel, then a bit higher up. You felt the pain running up and down your body and your bones were telling you to pull away, but you didn't. She seemed to be pressing so hard on your vulnerable skin that she was starting to feel the bones underneath. Your foot felt like it was about to fall off. You rocked slightly and held in the searing pain.

"Cover your mouth." She suddenly demanded.

"H-Huh?"

"Cover your mouth." Her words were harsh, but then she looked up at you and her eyes softened. "Just for a second."

"O-Okay..." You shut your mouth and held your hand over it as Lilli firmed her grip.

Something snapped. You instantly pulled your leg away from her as an intense pain like no other fled across our bones. Suddenly your ankle was on fire, and your foot felt like it had been ripped off entirely. The flames burned along to your knee and pricked your skin with needles. Your leg screeched and sobbed and seemed as if it was trying to clutch onto the rest of your body. You couldn't scream. Your brain cried out the action but your lips prevented it, making you choke on your own conflicting emotions. An ugly cough came out from your throat, and the tears fell by the buckets in the sweltering pain.

Then a cold wind brushed across your arm. As quickly as it came, it subsided, leaving a prickling sensation all over your body. Tears and sweat covered your face, and when you struggled to wipe your eyes, it became clear that you were shaking uncontrollably. Panting heavily, you looked to your foot, which was still intact with the rest of your leg. You felt nothing from it. No pain. No sensitivity. You hesitantly attempted to tilt your foot. It obeyed your action. You tilted it the other way, and it obeyed that action too. No pain. Other than the gash which was still open wide, your foot felt normal, moving accordingly to what your mind processed.

"What did you do?" You gasped astonishingly, rotating your foot. It was almost weird. You had been in pain for so long that you forgot what 'normal' actually felt like.

"Nothing really." She murmured indifferently, looking down at it. "I'm just used to things like this."

"Are you a doctor?"

She shook her head. "No. Just used to this."

You couldn't help but smile as you tried standing up, and didn't tumble to the ground. You carefully lifted your well leg, but realized that was a bad idea when the cuts on your foot yelled at you. You quickly sat back down beside her, breathlessly saying, "Thank you."

"It's fine."

You sighed and leaned your head onto the rocks behind. Thank god... Now you weren't injured. That's that. But now... How were you going to get home? What was going on? You weren't even sure what to do now that all the other hindrances were fixed. You weren't in shock, but you still didn't know anything. You were still in pain, but you weren't crippled. Now what? Those questions you had at the very beginning kept flooding back. What now? What NOW?

"Um..."

You spun your head to Lilli, who was looking down. "Do you think I could have a nap now?"

"Oh. Oh! S-Sorry!" You shuffled over to her, and she nestled her head on your shoulder.

"That's okay. I just need to rest too."

"N-No, that's no problem... But..."

"I just want to take advantage of this spot." She muttered inanimately, "It's hard to find in the dark, and it's the least likely place they'll find us. I found it by accident, actually. But I need ten minutes. At least 10 minutes."

"I-I don't mind, but..."

She placed her gun in your hands and curled up to your side.

"Don't worry. If you hear someone, cock the gun and shoot. I don't care who it is. Ally or friend, that one moment it takes for you to determine who's who, you might already be dead. And don't worry about waking me up if you're unsure. I'm used to waking up quickly by now..."

Your heart chilled a bit at her words. Her voice was so somber. You nodded, even though your muscles clenched in fear of holding a weapon with the instructions to murder anybody coming near. Another person? No, you refused to believe YOU murdered that person. "Alright. Leave it to me."

As she dozed off, you heard her murmur in your ear, "I haven't felt this safe since I left my brother..."

You didn't quite understand what she meant by that, but you let it go and let her timid breathing relax.

She was right. The small amount of sleep you had relaxed you. But it wasn't enough for your body to properly function, you knew that too. You memory was still a bit hazy, like a movie with blurry pictures, and your eyes felt heavy and yearning for just ten more minutes... But... You couldn't do that. It was Lilli's turn. You didn't know how much time the two of you had here, and now was NOT the time to get greedy.

You recalled how you became a whole other person though. You aimed a GUN at her. You were threatening to MURDER this girl. That wasn't you, was it? It was like you had been possessed or something. But you had done that. You remembered the familiar feel of the gun. The weapon.

Did you actually murder that other person?

And what was that bird that attacked you?

And Yao...

_Damn it... What am I DOING here?_

As you had nothing else to really do, you looked at the ocean. Your ears perked as you heard a sound from afar, but it seemed so distant that you thought it must have been your imagination. Well, at least with this silence, you could think about some things...

Like your family...

What were they doing? Or your friends? It was still dark. Still night. How long had this night gone for? You thought checking your iPod would wake up Lilli. And even then, it might give another unreasonable time like before. What was going ON here?

_In here..._

_Kill them all..._

Oh, gosh, not THOSE words again. The thought of murder disgusted you, to the core. Actually KILLING someone? Taking away their life? How could someone LIVE like that? No, you couldn't even think about it. Your mind still spiralled at the remembrance of that person's skull being pounded in. Out of all the memories you saved, that one was the most prominent. That and the man with red eyes. The TWO men with red eyes. The one with the bird and the one with the scarf. Red eyes...

Like the blood on Yao.

Like the blood on your ankle.

Blood.

Who WERE these people? Who WERE 'them?'

You had to turn away from the ocean. Thoughts of yours were growing hectic and more graphic, and thinking about blood while looking to an ocean...

You didn't even know what ocean this was.

A protruded rock jabbed into your back and you fidgeted uncomfortably before attempting to slide off it. However, Lilli jerked awake at the movement, clutching onto you in alarm.

"Oh! S-Sorry... I was just getting comforta-"

"How long was I asleep?" She snapped, horror in her eyes.

She sounded so serious. How long had she BEEN here?

_In here._

"Ten minutes?" You guessed.

Her expression diminished to a somber frown and she stood up. "That's all I need for now," she swiped her gun from your hands. "Come on, let's continue."

You opened your mouth to say something, but what was there to say? Lilli was already moving around the corner to the side opposite of which you entered. You hurriedly slipped your shoe on and stood up to follow her lead. It was a skinner and rockier edge on this side, with a larger drop about halfway through that the two of you had to carefully jump down. Your ankle was still a bit numb from the cuts hurting and feeling well at the same time. However, you were almost thankful that the cuts still hurt though. It was the only sensation you could grasp from your foot.

On the other side, there was more of the dense forest. The waterline continued forwards, but Lilli didn't follow it. She turned and started pacing fearlessly into the woods. You couldn't tell what kind of facial expression she had. Nevertheless, you followed her.

You felt so vulnerable in the forest. Where had your nonchalant state on the cliff gone to? Maybe it was because of the wall. Yes, now you recognized it. There was a cliff wall behind you, and an ocean in front. There were only two ways to enter, so you had a pretty good sense of where danger would come from. Here, travelling in the woods, there was nothing like that. Anybody could come from anywhere. Your heart started pounding again.

You took a deep breath and dashed up close behind her, whispering worriedly, "Lilli... Where are we going?"

She glanced back for only a moment and shook her head.

What does THAT mean?

Don't speak yet? Or maybe she doesn't know? Maybe both? Maybe she misheard the question? You doubted it, but it was always an option. You didn't know the environment. Anything could be possible, and that scared you. Especially since the forest at night was a routine setting for horror stories.

You pursed your lips and spun to your rear. Nothing there, from what you could see. Maybe you should bring out your gun like Lilli did, facing it downwards and a finger on the trigger. Even in the frilly dress, that girl seemed to look like a war veteran, bravely pacing over stumps and around bushed without making a sound. You, on the other hand, weren't that organized in your movements.

"Lilli..." You murmured again, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." A clipped answer.

"What's going ON here? I mean, I..." You couldn't help but peer to your surroundings in worry before continuing in a low tone. "I hate to speak more than I have to, but... I still have NO IDEA what's going on."

The girl only looked back for a second, but turned back to scout out more while speaking, "None of us really do..."

"W-Well... What HAPPENED?" you questioned, rushing back to her side. You had to pick your questions carefully now... "And... Why do you keep saying we're IN here? Where is 'here'?"

She looked down. "You wouldn't understand."

You frowned. "Try me."

She paused for a moment, still not even passing a glance at you, then sighed. "We... We're not in any particular area. No place on Earth. No place off Earth. I feel..." She spun to the side hastily, and you froze. But after a short moment, she continued talking again. "I feel like I'm nowhere, and yet I feel like home is incredibly, incredibly close."

You scrunched your face, trying to understand. We're here but not here? You sighed in defeat, "I don't get it."

"Neither do I." She admitted, "None of us do. We don't know where we are, WHEN we are... And my brother, I have a brother, he told me before we parted to find a way out, but..."

"But?"

She shook her head. "There is no way out."

"There must be though!" You refuted, still keeping as silent as you could. "I WALKED here! That must mean there's a way to walk out!"

She glanced to the ground, then looked away. "No, we walked here too, in a sense. We knew where we were, and then we walked outside and we didn't. Besides..." She took a deep breath. "I followed the ocean. And it didn't end. Well, more correctly, it ended IN A CIRCLE."

You halted abruptly. "No way..."

"That place on the cliff? I passed it four times already."

"No...! No! We're in (your country)! That was...!"

Lilli then turned to you, a heartbroken smile crossing her face. "We came from Germany."

You stopped then. Your heart, your mind. Everything stopped.

"No...! That can't be...!"

She shook her head.

"Who...? Who ARE you?"

She looked down again.

"I-!"

"JA BAČU NIEŠTA!"

Lilli suddenly grabbed you and tossed the two of you under a bush. She held you close, and you clung onto her.

_What? WHAT?_

"Brat, vuń tam!" A bleak female voice pierced through your ears. It was close, but not close. Where was it? Where were they COMING FROM? You're heart pounded. Footsteps on solid dirt tapped from afar.

An older-sounding man chimed something else into the conversation, a slight laugh dancing in his words.

_Oh god._

_No._

_NO._

A shrill whine then interrupted the your thoughts, and another woman's voice called out to the others in a hectic tone. However, her words were so rushed and strung together that you didn't catch most of what she yelled out. However, the pitch was all too familiar.

You knew these voices.

_No._

_No, that's impossible..._

You held your hands to your mouth before your eyes started to water. Lilli clung onto you and pressed her forehead to a tree trunk, her breaths heavy.

The footsteps faded. They got quieter. Quieter. Silent.

Then there was nothing.

A sudden gunshot rang out that made you clutch onto Lilli and her duck to the ground.

And then more silence.

Your heart hammered against your chest, and you started shivering in disbelief. Your brain hadn't processed the meaning of you recognizing these voices, but your body did. The tears were already soaking down your neck, and your breaths came out as shaky gasps.

_If those voices were... THOSE voices... then..._

Lilli was the first to speak, "I think... I think they're gone..."

But neither of you stood up. Her eyes darted around the area as you tried to grasp your suspicions into secure thoughts.

It must have been your imagination that those voices were similar, right? There's no way that...

_No. There's no way Yao was dead._

He was a strong fighter, you saw that first-hand when he fought that blond...

_No..._

Lilli sat up and scanned the area, and you tried to hold yourself together. She glanced at you and patted your head.

"Don't worry. They didn't see us. It's okay now."

You held in your breath, afraid that a hiccup or cough would bring those enemies back. You could only nod and follow her lead as she stood up.

"Let's go that way."

She started advancing in the direction where the voices came from. You couldn't help but suddenly grab onto her wrist and almost wail, in a lower volume, "THAT way? But there were PEOPLE that way!"

"And that's exactly why." She hissed quickly. "If they were able to shout like that and not get injured, the people around either have no way to fight or there are no people there, understand?"

You shut your mouth. It made sense, now that you thought about it. You let go of her arm and motioned for her to continue. She nodded in response.

Travelling behind her, you saw that eventually the forest started to clear and you saw town-like streets once again. When you glanced up a bit, you could barely make out the shadows of brick buildings from afar. Lilli motioned you to continue following as she scurried across the road and into a narrow back path. You kept glancing back, hand hovering just under your shirt in case of an emergency. Lilli turned corners carefully, as if looking both ways before crossing an intersection, but practically sped along large hallways. Soon the gravel roads changed into concrete, and the walls started climbing higher and higher up.

You were nervous that the sky showed no signs of brightening though. What time was it? Wait, did you WANT morning to come? Sure, it would be a lot lighter but... What would you see if the night wasn't hiding as much as it did? Then again, the night could be hiding the way you needed to go all along. Maybe in daylight, you could escape better? You weren't sure. It was frightening at night though.

Lilli turned a corner, and you were about to follow until she gasped and retreated back around. You bumped into her slightly as she pressed her back tightly to the wall.

"What-?" But she held up her hand. Her face was solemn as she looked to the side. You waited behind her, holding your breath and listening closely for anything out of the ordinary. A bird's call echoed from afar, but no other noise caught your attention.

She glimpsed around the corner again, a steady gun at the ready. You couldn't see her face, but she examined the area for a long time.

"Unmöglich..." Lilli exhaled, and backed up into your side. Suddenly, the serious girl had horror stricken over her face, covering her mouth and wheezing heavily.

"I... I can't do it..."

"What-? Can't-?" Your mind went into overdrive. "What's there? What happened?"

"I can't do it..." Her voice was shaking and her eyes watering. Her whole body was quivering and you tried to turn her around.

"What's wrong, Lilli? What's happened?"

She pressed her back against the wall and looked as if she was trying to hold herself together, gazing up to you with a heartbroken stare. "I... Th-There's a flashlight on over there... but it seems discarded. Nobody's there except... a corpse..."

Your nerves clenched at the word. Corpse. Death. Killed.

"But... I can't look at it..." She covered her face with her hands and started to whimper, probably holding back tears. "I don't want to know who it is... Not... I can't..."

She sniffed and buried herself into the wall. You were confused on what to do, not understanding the sudden change of emotions, but eventually settled for patting her shoulder. She shook her head and pulled away, trying to hold herself together.

"Can you... Can you please go over there and tell me what it looks like? Who it is?"

"Why me?"

"Because I can't look... but I need to know..."

"Why?" You pressed, trying not to seem nosy, but you were curious. "What's so important about that...?" You couldn't say the word.

"Because it's wearing a green uniform."

You froze.

Because you knew you wouldn't be able to look either.

* * *

**Now... Think about it. Why would you AND Lilli be worried about one green uniform? ... ... How lucky do you feel, Reader-san? And if it's a choice, whose happiness do you want to crush, yours or hers? *evil cheshire grin***

**Ahaha! I don't think Lilli is OOC at all here! She would totally be all serious and badass and wouldn't fear a gun pointed at her, come on! She's lived with Switzerland all her life! (Wait, what was that Guest-san? She's lived with AUSTRIA before? SERIOUSLY? THE HEADCANONS! THE HEADCAAAAAANONS! XDD *imagines Lilli playing the piano* That would be so... SO CUTE! *explodes into rainbows and kittens*) ANYWAYS, not the point! The point is I think Lilli has an awesome side to her! Even CANADA has a "Manada" side, so why can't Lilli?! I'd actually be a bit offended if anyone says that this IS OOC for her! Really? Nobody likes the badass Lilli? *sighs* Fine. Have it your way. -_-**

**(How do you write her name anyways? Lili? Lilli? Lily? I'm WAY confused here. XDD)**

**Ja baču niešta! = I found something! (Belarusian)**

**Brat, vuń tam! = Brother, over there! (Belarusian)**

**Unmöglich.. = Impossible... (German)**

**Do I really need to say this was Google Translated? I ALWAYS use Google Translate, man! XDD Don't be afraid to tell me it's, like, totally wrong. ;D**

**DISCLAIMERS! THE MOMENT YOU ALL FEAR WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT! *is shot* I don't own ANYTHING! Wait, what? Nothing? Nothing at all? Not even-? Nope, not even, apparently. Man. That's a bit disappointing. Oh! But I own this fanfic, sort of. Not anything IN the fanfic, but I do own the fanfic. The collection of words, I mean. So no copy-pasting it anywhere else, please! MY PRECIOUS! *strokes the computer screen awkwardly***

**PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR THE LONG UPDATE TIME OHMAHGOSH I SERIOUSLY DID NOT MEAN TO DO THIS TO YOU ALL. D,: (Hopefully the REALLY LONG chapter makes up for it? :3) Just so you know, if you are EVER wondering about the status of this story, just send me a quick PM! If 2 months go by and you're wondering what happened to me, just send a little PM saying: "Hey Cookie, what's the status of your Kill Them All story?" and I will tell you EXACTLY what's going on with my life and approximately how long until the next update. Don't be shy! Even if you don't follow or favourite, you can still ask me! I'm just happy that people READ it! XDD My update times are long, but I will not discard this story, so don't EVER think that's the reason I stopped writing! XDD Seriously, I plan to continue this story from start to finish! I promise! :D I MEAN LOOK AT THOSE LOVELY REVIEWS. I am NOT letting those go to waste! XDD**


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